Loving again
by Kiryal
Summary: What do you expect when the love of your life comes back to Konoha after 5 years? Everything has changed except one thing: Sakura can't seem to forget him. [AU, SasuSaku]
1. The meeting

**Author's note:**

(Had to re-upload the chapter since I found some typos while re-reading it.)

Hello everybody! Here I'm showing you my second fic. I'm not done with my first one, I'll obviously keep it up but I had some ideas on my mind and I tried to put them togheter. This fic is way more mature so I'll try to do my best.

Please review and tell me what do you think, it'd be awesome!

I hope you like it.

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

Sakura looks at the message one more time, her eyes still widened. _"You gotta be kidding me."_

"Konoha Highschool ex-students meeting."

FUCKING. KHS. MEETING.

How many years had it been? 5? She clearly remembers her highschool years. The pinkette lost contact with all of her classmates the very day she started university, only meeting Ino a few times every year to keep up with their friendship. Her highschool bestfriend moved to another city to study psychology in a prestigious academy, but Sakura stood at Konoha. The Harunos weren't as wealthy as the Yamanakas.

Sakura sighs, laying on her bed and letting the letter fall to the floor _"I don't want to go. I don't want to go back in time..." _

It still hurts. _A lot_. Images start filling her mind as she pictures her prom night once again, just like everytime something reminds her about _him_. She bought a beautiful dark blue dress (his favorite color) because she was the happiest girl in the world: her teenage love was her prom date. She planned every detail the days before the night she thought that would be the best of her life, and yet she could only remember the tears running down her cheeks when he didn't show up. The love of her life left her alone on the last day of her highschool years.

The beeps of her phone bring her back to reality. She doesn't want to talk to anyone but that would be selfish, and she is the opposite of that.

"Heya, Ino." She tries to keep it cool. She has been learning to hide her feelings since _that_ last time.

"Heya, Ino?" She mocked Sakura's nonchalantly tone. "Don't freaking talk to me like nothing just happened." Ino is too loud sometimes when she's excited.

"I'm not going Ino. You guys will get some fun, I'm not that im-"

"Shut the hell up, forehead. If you think I'm going to let you hide in your house while you could be showing off how gorgeous you are, you are totally wrong. I'll bring you there by myself if I have to."

Sakura frowns. Ino sure is a rich girl but she's not that well mannered. "Okay, okay, chill Inopig. I'll try to make up my mind."

"No, I'm not chilling and you are not taking anymore time. Go shopping if you want, take your time to get ready. I'll pick you up at 7 so we get in there at time."

_Beep, beep, beep._ Sakura lets the phone down. It's early morning, the light that reaches her bedroom is soft. _"This is a mess."_ Lots of unfinished paintings take over her appartment, you can find oil painting materials in her kitchen aswell as in her bathroom. _"I should start behaving like the 23 year old woman that I am."_

It hadn't been easy to tell everybody that she wanted to be an artist. Her parents initially took her for a fool, her teachers shook their heads with frustration. Such an intelligent girl with excellent grades, she should had been a doctor or a lawyer. Everybody seemed to be disappointed by her choices. Only her friend Naruto encouraged her, wanting to check her artwork everytime, grinning happily at her, often asking for a portrait. _"I miss him so much..." _No one knew she just needed to start a new life, to forget about everything, and her only way to scape reality was painting. That was her true talent. She actually had a gift, her artwork was beyond wonderful, but nobody acknowledged her. Only in the Art Academy she could feel totally relaxed.

"Alright, let's find out what can I wear tonight." Sakura tells herself, trying to imbue some confidence in her voice.

She lives in a little apartament in Konoha's downtown just in the so called "artist neighbourhood". Her routine consists on painting on her own canvas and working on a small art gallery so she hasn't spent much time socializing. Opening her wardrobe is quite depressing since she doesn't gain much money to spend on clothes. _"I swear I thought there was something..."_

The pinkette gets a short, sheer blue dress that looks pretty enough to wear for tonight's meeting. A pair of black ballerina-like shoes and black stockings complete the outfit. Her mirror image reminds her too much of her younger self -that scared, sad girl. _"At least I will be able to drink lots of sake and not remember a single thing the next morning."_

She shooks her head, not allowing her green eyes to water because of bitter but old memories. _"Ino is right, I'm a grown up woman now."_ Her waist-long hair is straight and it's the only thing of her appearance that she actually takes time to take care of. She passes a hand throught it, feeling it's silky texture and she can't help but remember that certain person used to love it's color. _"As pink as a cherryblossom..." _A thin, black headband suits her perfectly. _"Oh also, black mascara and red lipstick!"_ She's ready to go in half an hour.

* * *

"So here we are." Ino says getting off her car. The blonde widens her eyes as she watches her pink-haired friend waiting for her. "Woah, Sak, you are beautiful! You look like a doll, you know? And that dress is so fairy-like! Your outfit sure is original."

Sakura frowns but allows an amused small to appear on her face. "I know you're in love with me Ino but I'm not lesbian."

"Go to hell! I was just trying to be nice, you know? I can be charming sometimes." Ino says ironically.

They are in the restaurant door ten minutes late, everybody is inside. Naruto's voice is clearly audible and Sakura grins. _"I missed him so much!"_ She can't wait to hug her bro. It had been 3 years since the last time she met him and she wants to see his shiny, blue eyes again. He will make her feel safe as always. They were like sister and brother, hanging out togheter in class and spending their free time playing videogames, watching animes or eating ramen. _"Team 7..."_ Sakura still remembers the day the had been put into random 3-man teams to work on projects in 1 st grade. That was the very day it all began, the first time she met the two man that changed her life forever: her best friend and the man she loved. _"That's only a thing from the past now. We're no longer a team."_

Ino opens the door and they hear lots of voices coming from one side of the restaurant. It's a typical japanese place so people sits on the tatami and the lights are subtle. Her blonde friend is the first to enter the room and greets everybody with her loud voice, but Sakura hesitates. She can't help but shiver when she thinks about all the people waiting for her. She's not ready, she's not ready, she's not-

"You wouldn't belive who came with me!" Ino says loudly and pushes her friend in the room. "Our wonderful artist, Sakura!"

"Sakura-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" Naruto automatically gets up, runs to her and holds her on a tight hug. Sakura responds inmediately. His warm aura invades her heart and she can swear she has went back in time to her highschool days when they used to hang togheter. He's taller and her muscles have grown, his back is now larger. _"He's a man now."_

"Let her breathe you moron!" Ino says angrily but her eyes show nothing but melancholy. _"It's nice to see her sweet smile again"_ she thinks.

Naruto shows an empty seat besides him and grins at Sakura. "I saved it for you, Sakura-chan."

"Oh, yay! I missed you so much, you fool." The pinkette can't stop smiling. Naruto's bright spirit is as contagious as always, his hair blonde like the very sun.

"Hey there Sakura!"

"How's it been, Sakura?"

"I'm glad to see you again, Sakura!"

The rest of her ex-classmates start to greet her. _"They all grew up so much..."_ Hinata's hair is much longer and she seems more confident about herself. Kiba's hair is also longer, his voice reflects his wild spirit. Shikamaru has the same bored expression but his smile towards Sakura was genuine, just like Chouji's, who is taller and fatter. Lee's body is way stronger than before and Neji's face looks more mature aswell as kind towards TenTen, whom seems to be deeply in love with the Hyuuga young man.

"Hey, ugly. Long time no see you." Sai affectionately pats her back. _"Looks like he finally got to understand how to treat people"_ Sakura thinks, amused. Her friend no longer has his childish face, he looks now like a man.

"Thanks guys, it's nice to see you all again!" The pinkette smiles sweetly. Sakura loves these people and she's happy to see them again.

Naruto serves her a glass of sake. "So, Sakura-chan, what have you been up to? Will I get to see any of your new artwork soon?"

"Mmmm... You could come to my appartment one day. I got loads of canvas there." She takes a sip. "Do you remember the tale of the nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi? A few days ago it came to my mind how much you loved it so I started a few paintings about it."

"That's amazing'ttebayo!" Naruto grinned. "I can't wait to see them!"

"What about you, Naruto? I heard about your name on TV last sunday."

"Oh, yeah, my politic party made it to the primaries. I'm still a comissioner member but we're trying to shot for the presidency." He's proud of his job as a politician and Sakura couldn't be happier for him.

"I assume you still want to be the president of Konoha one day." Sakura smirks and fills Naruto's glass. She gaves a toast between them. "For your dreams!"

"For yours aswell, Sakura-chan." Naruto drinks and this time his smile is sweet. He knows how Sakura feels just by looking into her eyes, he remembers the pain she had endured when she was at highschool. He suddenly remembers. "Oh right, I haven't told you!" Naruto grabs Hinata's hand, who instantly blushes and mutters an apologize for not telling Sakura before. "She said yes!"

"Can you believe it? Naruto married, hah!" Shikamaru mocks him. "Women are troublesome, bro."

"Yeah, that's why you're going out with Temari, right?" Naruto laughs as Shikamaru frowns.

Sakura doesn't hear them. She only sees a beautiful yet simple ring in Hinata's hand. The sudden notice shocks her and she can't say a word. Naruto... is going to... _marry_... Sakura knows they have been dating for almost 4 years but it's too sudden, it happened too fast... She automatically thinks of her misserable life. Small appartment, no brilliant job, no boyfriend, _nothing. _She tries to keep it cool for her friend's sake. Her smile looks bright, she swallows her sadness.

"Wow, Naruto, Hinata-chan... Congratulations again!" Her voice sounds sweet but she fears that it will break.

Shikamaru raises his glass, giving a toast. "For Naruto and Hinata, the hero and the princess!"

They all take a sip of sake and congratulate the future married couple. Sakura starts feeling _envious_, something she truly hates because she's not really happy for them. She's actually _envious_ of how good their life is. She wished she could be like them, but she still tries to keep her sweet smile. Naruto is her best friend and she _has_ to be happy for him. She almost thanks Kami-sama when someone reminds them about how hungry they are so she can't stop thinking about how great Naruto's life has become.

"Oi, can we start the dinner already?" Chouji says impatiently.

"Ugh, teme is late as usual." Naruto frowns.

"Maybe he will not come." Hinata tolds her fiancée with a soft voice.

"That bastard better comes now!" Ino yells.

"Calm down, you guys are loud as always." A very-well known voice for Sakura suddenly gets into the room.

Then she realises everything. She sees the empty seat on the other side of the table, she sees Naruto's grin as he stands up to hug his best friend. She realises it's been 5 years old since the last time she had seen him, her another teammate, the man she loved till the very end. She also realises that she's not ready, that her heart is beating furiously in her ribcage just because of his voice and her cheeks are red remembering his tender lips against hers. Her first kiss arrived the day before her life fell apart.

Because in the door frame stands a dark-haired young man. The back of his black hair is spiky and his eyes look like two onyx gems. He's even taller tan Naruto and his body shows he's been working out, his back is larger and she's sure he has defined abs. However, he looks just like the last time she saw him. He looks as painfully hot as the last time she called him by his name. And then he also realises she's there but no one can tell what is going through his mind since his face has his trademark stoic expression. That's the beautiful face of the love of her life.

Uchiha Sasuke.


	2. Reproaches

**Author's note:**

(I forgot to correct some typos .)

Heyall! Sorry for being a bit late, but I've been busy with Christmas: family and work.

Thank you very much for such a great feedback. I didn't expect you'd like this story so much! I'm so excited! I love it a lot too since I identify myself a bit on it. I hope you like this chapter aswell, describing feelings in English is a bit difficult for me since I'm Spanish, so sorry for my grammar.

Keep coming with your reviews, they encourage me a lot.

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

Everybody is quite drunk, the dinner is finished. Sakura has eaten very little but one empty bottle of sake is the proof of how uncomfortable she is there. She keeps her eyes fixed in Ino's face while they talk about stupid things. Ino's voice let's her hide from _his_ presence.

"So you know..." Ino's face is flushed, her voice is excitedly drunk. "Sai's a beast. He could go for hours." She snickers when her boyfriend chokes, embarassed.

Sakura giggles. She loves those two, they are complete opposites yet so perfect for each other. Ino was lucky to find him. They had been togheter happily for 2 years when Sai finally got the courage to ask her out, and yet again she can only think about her misserable life. Everybody seems to be so happy...

Dark onyx eyes search for her around the table but she avoids them everytime. She's not ready to face _him_. She knows she should have gotten up to greet him just like Naruto did. Even a little "Hello, Sasuke-kun" would have been enough, but her best friend doesn't blame her nor pushes her. He knows she's struggling for even being there.

Sasuke is busy talking to Naruto. She can't help but realize how much she has missed him when she hears his calm, velvet voice. Sakura wants him to reach her, to hug her, to kiss her, to _apologize_ to her... The touch of his fingers on her skin would be enough to set her body on fire but nothing of that will ever happen again. He's still painfully beautiful but his aristocratic facial features look somewhat different. Sasuke has become a grown up man, just as Sakura. They have already changed, they're not Team 7 anymore.

After 30 more minutes she decides to leave. It's 1 am, a bottle of wine and Netflix is waiting her at home. She plans to lay on her bed to watch Grey's Anatomy. Getting rid of the tears she's been accumulating the whole night sounds like a good plan.

"I'm sorry guys, it's been a fun night but I have to work early tomorrow." Lies don't go with her but a little one doesn't harm anyone. Her lips curve into a soft smile to calm down Ino, who suspiciously frowns.

She avoids Sasuke's eyes once more and approaches to Naruto before leaving. His bright, blue eyes are already complaining at her.

"But it's too soon, Sakura-chan! Aren't you having fun?"

"I am, I am, baka! But I'm quite tired." Naruto looks at her, his expression concerned, but she doesn't want to worry him, not anymore. "I'm happy to see my best friend again. I missed you, Naruto." Her smile is too sweet, too pure. Her emerald eyes can't lie to her best friend, and he understands her just like always. His hug is so warm, so kind, that her eyes water a little and she has to blink to hold the tears back.

"Good night all!"

Outside it's cold so she quickly gets on her coat. The clouds cover the moon, the street is empty. Sakura breaths deeply trying to keep her heart calm. Her legs are still trembling, her body aches for him. She looks up to the sky, closing her eyes. _"Please, Kami-sama, stop fooling around in my life..." _Maybe her dress is not beautiful enough or she should get her hair cut. Maybe it's because she's not good at painting her nails or because she's not that feminine...

"You're going to catch a cold."

Her eyes widen, a shiver runs down her back. She hesitates before turning back because she knows what awaits her. That voice... She could never get rid of it. Her face gets heated despite the freezing cold. Thankfully it's dark enough so he can't notice her cheeks are red. Time seems to stop when her gaze reaches his.

Sasuke has his hands on his pockets, a stoic expression taking over his face once again. She can't tell what is going through his mind but his eyes show that he's not even tipsy. He's wearing a black leather jacket, showing his navy blue t-shirt, and a pair of black jeans. His clothes fit his body perfectly. They keep looking at each other for what seems like hours to Sakura, but it's only been a few seconds when she can't stand his gaze anymore.

"Hey." She says, afraid that her voice will break into a million reproaches, but it remains calm, just like nothing ever happened.

He takes a few steps to her, enough to see her little, beautiful face. Sakura waits, trying to keep it cool, but a hundred butterflies in her stomach are telling her that whatever happened in the past is not over yet. Her heart beats furiously, begging her to hug the love of her life and never let him go away again. The same man that now is infront of her, so close that she can clearly tell how silky his hair is, how delicious his mouth is, how...-

"You shouldn't go alone, it's late." Sasuke says nonchalantly, his onyx eyes still fixed on the girl who gave him his first kiss.

"I know." Sakura tucks a flock of pink hair on her right ear. A sweet smile surprises him. "I'm used to it."

If her comment brings bitter memories back to him, Sasuke doesn't show it. His gaze keeps drinking on Sakura's face and body. It's been too much time, they both know it. Although he wouldn't admit it out loud, he missed her smile just as a fish would miss the ocean, but Sakura doesn't know that.

"I'll drive you home." He doesn't ask, he states. That's so like the old Sasuke that Sakura suddenly wants to cry and hug him and tell him how much she has missed his wonderful, dark eyes.

He starts walking ahead, knowing that she will follow. Sakura will always follow Sasuke and she realizes that being in love always made her somewhat pathetic. He's not an easy person to be bound to. Sakura shakes her head and ignores her aching heart for once, she's had enough.

"No, I'm fine." Her voice comes out trembling, she's still a terrified, small girl who doesn't understand love.

Sasuke stops and turns back to her. He's frowning, his eyes narrowing. That is unexpected for him.

"I said I'm not letting you alone tonight, Sakura." And she can tell he truly means it, but it's too late.

Hearing her name on his mouth is too much. She can't stand it anymore and her heart explodes letting a waterfall of bitter words finally fall from her mouth.

"That's easy now, right? You think that you can come back after 5 fucking years and act like nothing ever happened?" She almost chokes when she realizes she has _sweared_, but she just can't stop it. Sakura needs to say it all. "You left me _alone, _I didn't know a single thing about you since that night! I've been worried about you since you disappeared! I kept wondering even if you were alive!"

Tears start rolling down her beautiful, pink cheeks. Her voice is about to break, her eyes are fixed on the floor. She can't look at him, not while crying. That would make her feel even more pathetic. Sakura turns her back to him, ready to leave.

"Please, Sasuke..." His name burns her tongue but she somewhat needs to say it for one last time. "Leave me alone again... but this time for good." She can't still see his face, she isn't able to say goodbye to his eyes.

He stays silent, gazing at her. Sasuke lets her finally empty her heart at him. He knows it's his fault, everything is his fault, and Sakura knows it too. When she is done, Sakura waits for him to talk, to move, to _apologize_. She _needs _him to actually care about her feelings. However, he keeps calm, quiet. Sasuke doesn't try to catch her up. He stands still, watching her leave. And Sakura would give everything just to know what is going on his mind. She silently wishes he wasn't _so Sasuke_ for once.

If only Sakura knew how broken was Sasuke on the inside, she wouldn't have left. If only she knew how much he needed her, she would have stood there. If only she knew his _actual_ feelings about her, she would have kissed him. But this _is _Sasuke, and he would never reveal that Sakura keeps being his only weakness.

* * *

It's 10 am. Her head hurts. An empty bottle of wine and a half-empty box of chocolates are the proof of how bad her heartache is. The laptop is already off. She spent 5 hours watching Grey's Anatomy, pretending that her tears weren't about Sasuke.

Sakura slowly gets up and takes a hot shower. The water warms her up, it washes away a little bit her troubled thoughts. _"It's a new day, I have to keep going on with my life." _She throws on a pair of skinny jeans and a worn-out sweater, braiding her hair on a messy bun. Her look screams "I'm going to work with a huge hangover".

She's at the Akatsuki Art Gallery half an hour before her turn. Deidara is smoking infront of the principal door and greets her with a hentai grin. The blonde guy is her boss. He might be a pervy or a weirdo sometimes, but he's absolutely nice. Her salary is reasonable and she doesn't have to work more than 6 hours. He even lets her show some of her wonderful paintings when they run low on stock. Since he is an artist too, he helps her teaching her new painting techniques.

However, Deidara's talent is sculpture. He used to be famous but he got tired of working for rich people who didn't actually know about art, so he moved to Konoha in order to open the small art gallery with a couple of friends, Hidan and Kakuzu.

"Heya, pinkie! Huh, you're still beautiful even when you overslept because of the alcohol."

Sakura smirks while getting off her coat, throwing her purse on the receptionist table. Deidara always gets her on a good mood, it's easier to hide her scars when she's with him.

"You missed me, don't deny it."

"Kinda." Deidara gives her back a smirk. "Do you mind if I buy you a paiting? A friend recently moved back to town. He would appreciate a welcoming gift."

"Mhmm, sure." Sakura starts checking the day's schedule. "So we start hosting another exposition today? Looks like a lot of work."

"Yeah, Sasori wants to give Konoha a little visit." Deidara grins. He loves teasing Sakura about her ex. "He's gonna spend here a week. Are you gonna check him out?"

"I'm not even interested. You're wasting your time." Sakura is focused on preparing the main gallery room for the exposition.

"Oh, c'mon Sa-ku-ra." Deidara moves like dancing, his grin even larger. "He's coming in a week or so for our friend's welcoming party."

"If you're not going to help me with the exhibitors, you better get lost, _blondie_."

Deidara giggles, amused. He knows Sakura never loved his friend Sasori. They dated for like six months, but she broke up with him unexpectedly. Sasori was such a nice guy that he didn't expect it. He treated her extremely well, plus he was a famous, rich artist. _"It looks like her heart is already taken."_ Deidara knows there has always been someone in her heart, but he won't ask.

* * *

It's been a week and a half since he's back in his hometown but he has never been so absent. He shouldn't have attended that stupid meeting. He regretted it the minute he saw her beautiful face, the moment his heart went back to life just because she has the most gorgeous hair he has ever seen and her skin is as soft as the finest velvet. Sasuke wasn't able to sleep that night just thinking about her bright eyes. _"I made her cry."_

_It was their last highschool year and he knew she loved him since their first day as friends. However, she hadn't say it out loud, she just treasured that feeling. They were bestfriends, they were Team 7. Sakura didn't want the team to break if Sasuke didn't love her back. She just took care of him everytime, she tried to make his life as happiest as she could. And he was actually the happiest guy in the world because he silently loved her too. He just couldn't say it. He was Sasuke, and Sasuke always hid his feelings for everything._

_The last day of class he told her to meet him at the Shin-Ah park at 7pm. He arrived ten minutes before because he was too nervous. When he saw Sakura, he could tell she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her summer-like, white dress suited her small but toned body, her pink hair almost white under the moonlight. She sure looked like an actual angel. His stomach was filled with playfully butterflies, he knew what was coming next. Sasuke had to finally tell her. _

"Sasuke, the guys are here!" Itachi's voice brings Sasuke back to real world. He's finally meeting his university friends so he's totally excited. His older brother has always been that kind of cheerful guy, so different from him.

The music is blasting on the living room, the table full with food dishes, bottles ready to be open. Sasuke sees Pain and his girlfriend Konan, who greet him with a nod. Deidara and Hidan are way louder. They pat his back while mocking him for "still being a child". Kisame and Kakuzu, the weirdest ones, laugh at their noisy friends and wave at Sasuke. Seeing Itachi's friends again gives him memories of his beloved Team 7. He doesn't want to admit it but... he misses them, a lot.

The dark haired young Uchiha serves him a glass of whiskey and watches Itachi's bright smile. Sasuke secretly wishes he could be as happy as his older brother. If only they hadn't left that day, everything would have been perfect. _"Shit happens."_ But Sasuke doesn't want to give up on her. He thought he didn't feel anything more but his heart doesn't lie to him. It beat that night as furiously as the day he kissed her. That could only mean that she was still somewhere into his mind, and he needed to find out what he felt about her. _"Maybe it's too late?_" He can't tell her _why_ he left yet. He just can't let her get involved in his family problems.

"You're late, Sasori!" Itachi hugs his redhead friend. "Being such a famous artist sure is a trouble."

"Shut up, Mr. Police Chief." Sasori mocks, getting off his coat.

"Oh, you heard it. Yeah, the Uchihas are back." Itachi winks to his little brother, who frowns like 'is my brother crazy?'

"I guess I'll start getting tickets from you for being too handsome." Hidan giggles when Itachi smacks him.

"Talking about beauty!" Deidara facepalms. "I almost forgot... Tadaaa!" He throws a bag to Itachi, who catches it curiously. "I brought you a gift."

"Woah, what a beautiful painting!"

Everybody looks at the amazing canvas. An orange, red-eyed nine-tailed fox roaring to the moon. It was beyond awesome. Sasuke gazes at it, it reminds him of something but he doesn't actually know_ what _it is.

"Where did you get it?" He mumbles, lost in the painting. _"It is way too familiar."_

"Huh? Well I got a talented employee. You guys could come to the art gallery. Sasori is exposing some of his best marionettes. We can throw a little show."

But Sasuke doesn't hear anymore. He has already realised that this is the fox from Naruto's favorite tale, the one he always told during Team 7 meetings. Only one person could have painted that. His lips curved in a smirk. Now he finally knows where to find her. _"Got'cha."_


	3. Resolutions

**Author's note:**

Hello everybody! Thank you very much for the follows, the favorites and the reviews. I can't still believe you all like so much this story. I hope I won't disappoint you on future chapters. I also want to apologize for taking so much time but Christmas got me busy.

I'm sorry about Sasuke's part, I'm trying really hard to not to make him OOC. I don't know why but it's easier for me to write like Sakura.

Well, sorry for taking your time, I leave you know with this chapter full of feelings.

Thanks again, you're all amazing.

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

"So are you staying with Itachi for a while?" Naruto throws himself in the living room couch.

"Hn. He's working right now."

Sasuke is busy unpacking some of his stuff. He's not going to stay for long at Itachi's appartment, but he needs a place to settle down before starting his own life from zero. Being a newbie policeman is hard at first -spending more than 8 hours at home is like a dream. Sasuke is not ready to assume the responsibilities of living alone. And Itachi is more than happy to have his little brother with him for a few more months. _"He's such a carebear bro, huh." _Remembering Itachi's voice brings a small smile to his face. Sasuke loves his big brother.

"Did you bring insta-ramen as usual?" Sasuke scowls, not happy with his friend's food tastes.

"Yeah, since you're too tired to move your ass to Ichiraku's." Naruto gets up to get dinner ready.

"Huh, at least I work. You just stay on your chair talking with your buddies."

"It's called _politics_, Sasuke-teme. But it's too complex for you to understand, I know."

Sasuke can hear Naruto's laugh, it hits him like a wave of fresh air. _"Just like when I was seventeen."_

"I brought a bottle of whiskey too. We can throw a little party tonight." Naruto's voice is excited. He missed his best friend. "Oldschool style, bro. Whiskey, ramen and poker."

But Sasuke is too busy to get as excited as Naruto. When he opens the last box, he realises that he shouldn't have done it. He shouldn't have brought that Team 7 old picture with him. It's in a black, simple frame. His mother said it reflected Sasuke's quiet, reserved personality, so different from the rest of the team.

Kakashi-sensei, their first highschool teacher, the man that guided them through that new phase, is smiling peacefully under his mask. He was like a second father for them, helping the Konoha teens with their problems. _"I should visit him soon now that I'm back."_

On the right there's Naruto, grinning as usual. A warm, shiny aura surrounds him. His blue eyes show nothing but happiness -he finally found real friends, he was not alone anymore. Sasuke is on the left, a small smile on his face, a calm look on his dark eyes. _"I felt totally relaxed in that picture..."_

And then, on the center, there is _her_. Long, pink hair. Bright, green eyes. Her lips curve on the sweetest smile Sasuke has ever seen. She looks absolutely delighted to be there, surrounded by her best friends. _"Haruno... Sakura."_ Her innocence was still on her face when Sasuke met her again after 5 years. She still looked like the little fairy-tale-like girl he learned to love -her face just as beautiful as the last time he gazed at her.

_"I love you, Sasuke-kun!" She said after kissing him again._

"Sasuke-teme, where is the heater? I'm getting frozen." Naruto's overdramatic voice surprised him.

The two young men spend the night eating and drinking. The TV is on but they don't pay attention to it. Naruto finishes 3 bowls of ramen, Sasuke leaves his own bowl half empty -he never really liked it. The blonde opens the whisky bottle and they take a few shots. Although it's freezing cold outside Itachi's appartment, the heater and the alcohol keep they comfortable. He may not admit it out loud, but he missed his bestfriend, a lot.

"It's Christmas in a month and I still don't know what to buy for Hinata." Naruto sighs.

"Oh, right. You're going to be a husband soon." Sasuke mocks him.

"Huh, don't be such a dick. I'm marrying her just for her parent's sake. You know how the Hyuuga's are."

Sasuke remembers Hyuuga Hiashi. A proud, severe man, his eyes always cautious. He used to meet Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke's father, since both were the heads of the most important families in Konoha. _"A good time for the Uchihas..."_ But everything is different now. Hyuuga Hiashi will not meet with Uchiha Fugaku anymore. Sasuke tries to keep his demons at bay, he doesn't want any nightmares tonight. After 5 years he isn't over what happened yet. They say Uchiha's _love_ is the strongest feeling a person could experience, and now he understands why. But Sasuke doesn't want to talk about his dark thoughts now.

"You shouldn't marry her if you don't want to." That is Sasuke. Straight to the point, logical.

"Wha-?!" Naruto's eyes widen. "What the hell are you saying? Of course I'm marrying her! I would do anything to be with her. It's just... It's a huge ceremony. You know I'm a simple man. I'm not made for the royalty."

"Naruto, do you love her?" Sasuke's voice is calm.

"I love her with all my heart, teme. I've never been so sure about anything in my whole life." Naruto's lips curve on the purest smile Sasuke has seen.

"Then go ahead, dobe. I'll be there to help you with those snobs." Sasuke smirks.

They toast for Naruto's wedding. Sasuke feels comfortable. He likes to see his bestfriend happy, but he doesn't show it oppenly, he just smiles and drinks whiskey. This is how Sasuke behaves. He never wants to steal the main focus, he feels better between the shadows, taking care of everybody. Being a policeman is indeed his job.

After they finish playing poker -obviously Sasuke wins since he's the most rational one-, they lay lazily on the couch. It is starting to snow outside. December has come.

"What about you, teme?" Naruto is distractedly watching the TV.

"Hn?"

"You know what I mean." His blue eyes gaze at him for a second.

"I haven't had a girlfriend. I'm not interested in _that_." Sasuke's voice was lazy.

And it is true. He absolutely rejects the idea of a relationship. Being alone is what suits him the best now. When Sasuke left Konoha his heart was totally broken. He lost the two more important people for him, he was separated from the girl he loved and he was left with relatives he barely knew. Of course he wanted to be alone. Not that he wasn't attracted to girls, but he only had 2 sex partners, and Sasuke barely remembered them.

He lost his virginity one year and a half after moving to Kiri. It was a hazy afternoon and he was drunk enough not to care about what was going to happen next. Sasuke was at his lowest. Depression and loneliness brought him to a girl also drinking in the same bar as him. Her name wasn't important. His memories are blurred. The girl kept phoning him for several months, trying to meet him again, but Sasuke rejected her till she finally gave up.

The other one was a girl that studied along with him at university -he chose Criminology, just like his brother. She flirted with him when his heart was half fixed up so Sasuke didn't mind having a bit of fun. He didn't actually like her nor wanted to know more about her. That girl just reminded him about Sakura. He's not proud of it but he always dreamed that it was Sakurathe one who kissed him, that it was Sakura who actually moaned his name. After four months, he stopped meeting her. It was too painful to think so often about Sakura's emerald eyes.

"I'm not talking about the others. I'm talking about _her_."

Sasuke suddenly freezes, but manages to keep it cool.

"Not your business."

He knows Naruto is going to bring up the subject, but he doesn't feel like talking about it. His mind is still a mess, he doesn't need Naruto to behave like Sakura's_ big brother_. Sasuke takes another sip of whiskey. They have drunk half of the bottle and he starts to feel the effects. His tongue is lazy, he can't focus on his thoughts. Naruto seems to be quite tipsy too since he can't control his words.

"Yeah, it's my business. She's important for me." The blonde reiterates.

"And?"

"I know what happened between you two." Naruto's voice is serious but he hesitates before continuing. "And I also believe it's not over. At least, not for her."

Sasuke's eyes widen a little. _"What?". _His heartbeat fastens. _"When did Naruto talk to her about me?" _But he doesn't want to show him that he actually cares about her feelings.

"You heard right. She's not over you, you asshole." Naruto scowls.

"Huh, how do you know that? She would never tell you." Sasuke tries to avoid the subject once more.

_"What the hell has been going on between those two when I left?"_

"You're so fucking obnoxious." Naruto sighs, getting exasperated. "She-"

"You don't know a shit." Sasuke wants this to stop. His heart is still too troubled. He can't be a weak teenager boy anymore.

"Sakura still loves you, teme." Naruto gazes at him, bright blue colliding with dark onyx.

Silence fills the room. _"Why does everything bring me back to her?"_ Sasuke takes a gulp of whiskey and laughs, but it's just an empty, bitter sound.

"It's over, Naruto. She probably hates me. And believe me, it's better this way. I'm not the one for her."

Lies fall out from his mouth like he has practiced this speech for years. But Naruto knows him too well, he knows what lays beneath Sasuke's dark eyes. And he can't stand lies.

"Are you fucking stupid or what?" The blonde yells at his friend. "Why don't you just quit all this lone wolf act?"

"And why the hell do you care so much?" Sasuke's voice is tired. He passes a hand through his hair. "It's my life, not yours."

"Because it's been 5 years and she still shivers when she hears your name." Naruto gazes at him. "Because you two are my bestfriends." Sasuke tries to shut him up but the blonde doesn't pay atenttion to him. "Why don't you just admit it? I know you are Uchiha _freaking_ Sasuke, and you need to act cool and badass and all that jazz, but c'mon dude! You confessed to her once, you can win her over again."

Sasuke stays silent. After what happened to his parents, the feeling called 'love' is still a painful word for him. He definetly wants to be closer to Sakura, to make up for everything he had ruined, but he's afraid to hurt her again.

He's not her _Sasuke-kun_ anymore, he's only Sasuke now -the man who has lost his parents on a car accident, the man who is afraid to love again.

* * *

It is starting to snow again. Actually, it's been snowing for like a week, and Sakura loves it. The sight of the city covered in white is delightful. There's nothing better that having a hot capuccino at her favorite coffee shop while watching the snowflakes fall from the dark sky. She's been painting non-stop since the last time she saw Sasuke. Being occupied with work gives her a way to escape reality once again. She has sold out several more paintings to a mysterious policeman -Deidara won't tell her his name-, and Sasori has been trying to contact her a few times, but she has kept rejecting him. Sakura never loved him, and she actually felt bad for using him as an _antidote _for Sasuke. _"Ah, what's done is done. I won't solve anything just by regretting what I did to him."_

Christmas will be in just two weeks. She writes a 'to-do' list on a little, blue notebook. _"I should buy gifts for mom, dad, Ino, Naruto..."_

_"Maybe I should buy a gift for Sasuke too."_

She suddenly shooks her head. _"What the hell am I thinking?"_ But she knows she can't avoid him forever. Her heart is too attached to Sasuke and it will be less painful if she faces him once for all. A long phone call to Ino solved her doubts. If she wants to stop her heartache, she needs to get things clear. After all, isn't Christmas the perfect time? It's hard for her, but she makes a resolution. Sasuke is her _friend_. Even if he screwed their relationship, it's time for her to forgive him. If she doesn't, her pain will never end.

The cold air bites her cheeks, turning them rosy. Sakura's wearing warm, black leggins, high boots and a soft, creamy pullover under her dark, green coat. She feels like taking a walk on her way home. Winter is her favorite season and she wants to enjoy every bit of it. Somehow, her steps bring her to the same place she has visited at least once a week. Shin-Ah park. It's her favorite place in the city, yet the saddest too. Sakura sits on the same bench where Sasuke was waiting for her 5 years ago. And it gives her sweet memories.

_She was so nervous. Her heart was beating furiously. Her cheeks were burning. Sakura read the message once again. "Meet me at Shin-Ah park at 7 pm." It was Sasuke-kun, and he wanted to see her. She knew prom was coming soon and she didn't have a date yet. Not like she minded it. Sakura couldn't attend prom with a boy she didn't love. Her mind automatically started to imagine a date with Sasuke, but she called it off again and again. That wasn't to happen. He wanted her just as a friend and he probably just needed help with something. They were Team 7 after all, bestfriends forever. However, he still wanted to see her, so she put on her most beautiful dress and spent one hour to get her hair perfectly done._

_And when she finally saw Sasuke sitting on that very bench, the dark-haired young Uchiha looked so damn hot. Flocks of raven hair half covering his amazing onyx eyes, his mouth showing a sweet smile she had never seen before on him. Butterflies filled her stomach. She was sure he was the man of her life._

Sakura has grown up now. Whatever happened, he isn't her _crush_ anymore. She fell in love with him, but he _is_ her friend. Maybe not as closer as Naruto is, but Sasuke will always be an important part of her life. She will always love him, even if she can't be with him. It's not something she can choose, it's just how her feelings are. _"He is my friend."_ She knows that'll work for her. Having Sasuke around, meeting Team 7 again, hanging out and just having fun with her bestfriends ever... That sounds better than being depressed, or lonely, or having her heart broken forever. _"Friendship can heal even the worst wounds."_

When she arrives home, she throws on her Pikachu-pyjama -Pokemon is her favorite game. There's nothing interesting on TV, so she just makes a simple dinner -rice, vegetables and meat with soy sauce- and lays on her bed. Her phone is next to her but she can't get enough courage to reach it and call _him_.

_"He doesn't have the same phone number, I'm sure. And I can't ask Naruto, he already knows too much about us. No one else could give it to me. I don't even know where he lives now. This isn't going to work."_

An unfinished painting catches her sight and she gets up to work on it a bit. It's 3 am when she's half done. There's nothing that can keep her busy forever. _"I have to do it, now."_ It feels like an impulse when she reaches her phone, pressing on the 'call' button. An old picture of Sasuke -the one she learned to love- smiles at her on the phone screen. She's too busy remembering how she got that picture that she gets surprised by _his sleepy voice_.

"You should be sleeping."

A shiver runs down her spine, her body shakes a bit.

"You too." Her lips curve in a small, nostalgic smile.

"I was." Sakura's sure he has just smirked.

"Sorry for waking you up."

"It's not a big deal." Sasuke says nonchalantly, but she can tell he isn't unworried about her call. She knows him too well.

And Sakura wants to tell him how much she has missed his voice, how much she has wanted to talk to him, how much she has dreamed to be in his bed sleeping with him... But she has to forget about that for her own sake.

"I _need_ to talk to you." Sakura takes a deep breath. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Hn. My shift ends at 8 pm."

"Where should I-"

"You can wait for me at the police station."

"Oh, sure."

Silence falls between them. Neither of them wants to hang up.

"Good night, Sakura."

Her heart skips a beat when she hears her name on his velvet voice.

"Good night... Sasuke."

Sakura lays on her bed again. Her body is trembling. She's sure she won't sleep much tonight. Her mind is so full of him that she can only think about his long bangs, the spiky back of his dark hair, his beautiful onyx eyes. That sweet smile that has only been seen by her. The taste of his lips. The touch of his hands on her hips. _"Will I be able to think about him only as a friend?"_


	4. Just friends

**Author's note:**

(Sorry, re-uploading since there were some mistakes. Thanks **IloveSxS** for pointing them out in your review!)

Heyall! Woah, thank you for the follows, the favorites and the reviews, you all encourage me a lot! I also want to apologize for taking so much time, but this chapter was a bit... deep -lotsa feelings and I also got a bit naughty on SasuSaku. I personally want to thank **Writophrenic** -amazing writer- for her beautiful reviews. I also recommend you to check her story "**Shades of Jade and Stygian**", it's absolutely delightful.

And who wants to see a jealous Sasuke in the next chapter? Me, of course -evil laugh-. I hope you enjoy this one, I can't wait to write the next!

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

Here she is once again, in front of the bathroom mirror. Her hair is beautifully braided, her fringe falls softly above her eyes. She takes enough care not to put her pink locks too perfect. _"It's not like I'm getting all dressed up so he sees me pretty... right?" _A dark blue jersey and a pair of skinny jeans fit her like a second skin. Of course she can wear something fancier, but that's not the kind of look you get to meet a_ friend_. "_Because that's all I want with him."_ However, she remembers that he loved her hair -he personally told her long ago- so she puts a special effort on it.

Sakura is ready to go in an hour. The shower has been long enough to calm her heart down, she feels relaxed. _"It's just Sasuke. Why should I be nervous?"_ But everytime his onyx eyes fill her mind again, she gets goose bumps. It takes fifteen minutes from the subway station to the police station -she tries to hurry up so her cute, blue high boots don't get too wet from the snow. _"I hope we go to a warm place."_ She's hiding inside her black coat, but the breeze is cold.

There's a man outside the police station, driking a hot coffee and smoking. He looks friendly enough -and maybe only a few years older than her- so she decides to greet him. _"Waiting all alone for Sasuke sure is boring."_

"Good afternoon, sir." A sweet smile accompanies her words.

"Hello, lady." His face looks familiar to Sakura but she doesn't state it. "Do you need something?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Well... I'm a bit cold actually." She giggles.

"Would you like to come in? It's warm inside." He points at the door behind him.

"Thanks sir, but I'll just wait here." Sakura says smiling sweetly again.

"Then I guess you are looking for someone." His voice is gentle and warm.

"Hai, I'm waiting for..." She hesitates. "A _friend_."

"Oh, who is him?" The man gives her a nice smile. "If he works here, I must know him."

He definetly looks below 30 years old, and he's in a good shape. Sakura finds funny that an actual policeman wears a ponnytail with so much dignity. However, his dark hair and his dark eyes remind her too much of someone.

"You're such a gossip, Itachi-niisan." A manly voice surprises them.

Sakura blushes when Sasuke gazes at her. He's beyond handsome in his dark attire -jeans, shirt and coat-, his hair a little bit messy, his bangs framing his beautifully pale face. His almost-black eyes are as wild as always, and Sakura has the sudden urge to kiss his aristocratic lips. _"Sakura, please, focus. Friendship, friendship!"_

"So that's your friend!" Itachi realizes, patting Sasuke's back affectionately. "Wait a minute... Could it be...? " Itachi stares at her closer. "Are you Sakura?"

"W-what-?" Sakura gazes confused at Sasuke's brother.

Now that she sees them together, she can clearly see their resemblance. Sasuke's taller and way more handsome, but his older brother has a warm aura around him, just like Naruto does. They might have similar appearances, but their personalities are far different.

"We're leaving." Sasuke quickly grabs a shocked Sakura by her wrist and starts walking down the street. He wants to get away before Itachi loosens his mouth up even more.

"Have a good time, Sasuke!" Itachi yells so his brother can hear him.

_"So that girl is Sakura... Sasuke has a good taste for women then." _Then the older Uchiha smiles with nostalgia and realizes why Sasuke has been acting so awkwardly just right when they came back to Konoha. His little brother is acting a bit like his old self again, nothing compared to the aggresiveness and loneliness he showed while being at Kiri. It sure was a great idea to be back to their city. _"He needs his friends to be happy again."_

_"Okaeri, Itachi-niisan." A sixteen year old Sasuke greets his twenty year old brother with a smile._

_"Sasuke." Itachi pats Sasuke's head affectionately. "How was school today?"_

_"Ugh, I need your help for maths." _

_"Bring me the notebook, I got half an hour before going to the gym."_

_His little brother, the one Itachi loves so much, comes back after a minute with a blue notebook on his hands. _

_"So algebra, huh? Let me see..."_

_Itachi turns a page and something calls his attention. Sasuke is too busy checking his math book and it's too late when he realizes what Itachi is doing. There's a name written five times on a page, Sasuke's handwritting is simple and clear._

_"Haruno Sakura... Haruno Sakura?" Itachi mumbles, his lips curve slowly into a smirk. "Sasuke, who is Haruno Sakura?"_

_"H-hey w-what are you doing?! Give me that!" Sasuke snatches the notebook from Itachi's hands. His cheeks are red and his voice is high pitched._

_"Huh, so I guess you like that girl a lot." Itachi chuckles. It's the first time he sees his little brother so aroused and shy._

* * *

"I'll have a capuccino, double cream please." Sakura gazes at the menu once more. "Aaaand... Is that brownie cake as full of chocolate as in this picture?"

"Sure, ma'am." The waitress seems amused at Sakura's weird question.

"Then I'll have two."

"And you, sir?" The waitress gazes at the handsome dark-haired man in awe, causing a frown on Sakura's face.

"A solo coffee." Sasuke says nonchalanty.

They walk away from the counter of the coffee shop and take a sit on a table near the window. It's late afternoon, the sun is almost gone. The moon is already visible, followed by beautiful stars. It's a peaceful view.

Sasuke is as quiet as always. He's never been really conversational. But that doesn't make Sakura feel awkward. What makes her feel weird is the closeness of their bodies, their legs are almost grazing. She watches his hands as they undo his coats buttons. Flocks of raven hair frame his dark eyes. Those very eyes that seem to cast a charm on her everytime they reach her. She can feel she's getting _dangerously_ wet down there just imagining those eyes ripping her clothes off and-

"So, what did you want to talk about?" The velvet of Sasuke's voice wakes her up from her naughty dreams.

"Oh, yup, hmmm..." Sakura hesitates. She planned everything but how to start this conversation. She crosses her legs and looks over the window, trying to find _strenght_.

"Her you go sir, your coffee." The waitress suddenly appears and Sakura thanks Kami-sama for a few more seconds to think. "And here ma'am, your capuccino and your cake."

"Thanks." Sakura smiles gently at her, but the waitress is too busy waiting for Sasuke to say something. She frowns again. It's always been the same: he attracts every single girl.

"Hn." Sasuke's face shows an annoyed look and the waitress finally takes the hint, leaving them alone.

Silence falls between the two young souls, Sakura hesitates once more. Sasuke is quiet, clearly inviting her to talk. His dark eyes gaze at her curiously. She's embarassed because she remembers yelling at him at the highschool meeting. _"But I was drunk, and he deserved it."_

"I just..." Words can't seem to come out from her mouth. She lowers her gaze to her lap, attempting to escape from his enchanting eyes.

"You sure like chocolate." Sasuke says, a little smirk on his lips.

Sakura looks at her cake and she realizes he's mocking her. And he actually _is_ right. She absolutely _loves _chocolate, but she didn't expect the brownie to be _this _big. Actually, Sakura's physique is what a common girl would be jealous of. She eats everything she wants yet she doesn't get fat. Sakura's short and thin, but her body is healthy. Men always try to hit on her since her breasts and her butt are above average. _"I guess my life does have something good." _Her cheeks blush before she giggles.

"Oh wow! I don't think if I'll be able to eat all this!" A sweet smile rests on her pink, full lips when she stops laughing. "Would you like some?"

"I'm not hungry." Sasuke looks a bit amused, his expression is relaxed. He's sure that Sakura's smile is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen, but she doesn't know it -not yet.

Sakura takes a bite and her eyes sparkle with joy.

"This is delicious!" She takes another bite. "You know, I might steal the recipe from that waitress."

Sasuke let's Sakura enjoy her cake in silence. When she finishes the first brownie, she's ready to talk. The sweetness of the chocolate and Sasuke's relaxed face is enough for her to stop feeling awkward. She clears her throat with a sip of cappuccino and then, her emerald eyes search for Sasuke's dark ones. _"I can't be weak."_

"I miss Team 7." Sasuke's eyes widen a little at her words, but his expression remains stoic. Sakura can't read what he's thinking, but she needs to keep going. "Now that you're back..." Her voice is soft. "I'd like us to be friends _again_."

Sasuke stays silent for a few seconds. Snowflakes start falling from the sky, catching their attetion. _"It sure is a beautiful, winter night."_ Sakura starts feeling that she shouldn't have called him. _"Maybe he thinks I'm silly, or maybe I'm just feeding his ego. Maybe I-"_

"Well, Team 7 should meet Kakashi soon then." His low voice surprises her, causing goose bumps on her skin. Sakura's eyes are suddenly sparkling when she sees his lips curving on an almost imperceptible smile.

"That would be nice." She smiles softly. _"He has understood me."_

"Naruto wants to invite him to the wedding." Sasuke takes a sip of coffee.

"Oh, yup! He told you, right? I can't believe it yet!" Sakura is now excited. She kind of loves gossiping. "Naruto. Married. I don't know if Hinata really understands what that actually means."

"She should get used to eat ramen for breakfast."

Sasuke's humor surprises her so much that she chokes on her cappuccino and then she breaks on a relaxed, beautiful laugh. _"He's finally being my Sasuke-kun."_ Somehow, she suddenly feels kind of sad. She was supposed to be happy to have Sasuke as a friend again, her inner self should be jumping and dancing and singing of pure joy. But it isn't like that.

She feels sad because she realises that they have 'frienzoned' each other. That's what she initally wanted but now... it doesn't feel as great as she thought. It feels _incomplete._ _"What if I can't stop loving him?" _She can't pretend to be his friend forever. _"I need to do it, for our sake."_

They keep talking for a while. Sakura doesn't ask about his private life, he doesn't ask about hers either. Of course she would love to know the reasons why he left, but she also knows it's too soon. They only keep recalling highschool memories -mainly Naruto and Sasuke getting in troubles-.

When they leave the coffee shope, Sasuke offers her to drive her home, but she refuses. A walk by Konoha's downtown is always a beautiful experience. The streets are almost white, and Christmas lights are already visible. Even if the air is freezing cold, it's worth it. It is almost 10 pm when they reach Sakura's appartment. But she doesn't want to say goodbye. _"Why do I feel so comfortable, so safe around him? Why does he make me so happy just by being himself?" _Sakura stands in front of him, closer than a friend should be, but she doesn't care.

"You should get in. It's too cold out here." Sasuke's stoic voice surprises her.

Their eyes melt together and she suddenly has the urge to kiss him. _"Don't ruin it."_

"Yup." She hesitates. "That was nice."

Sasuke frowns, confused.

"I mean, I had a great time this afternoon." Her rosy lips curve in a sweet smile.

Sasuke's eyes widen a little and he seems to be about to say something, but his face goes back to his trademark stoic expression. Sakura can't read into his eyes anymore.

"Goodnight, Sakura."

He's done with her for today, that's what his voice says. She lowers her eyes, trying not to look like a sad girl. _"It's better if I can't see his face."_

"Goodnight." She tries to hide her weakness, but she reaches Sasuke's eyes one last time. "Okaeri, Sasuke."

Sakura then turns her back to him and takes a few steps to open her appartament's door, but a hand catches her wrist and pushes her back.

And then Sasuke's lips are melting with her own lips in a soft kiss. His hands rest on her hips, drawing her closer to his body.

And Sakura's so shocked that she lasts a few seconds before throwing her arms at the column of his neck.

And his scent blocks her thoughts, making her so wet that she can't even keep her mouth closed.

And she loses her mind.

Their tongues finally meet after so many years that they take a while to recognise each other. They explore, they taste, they enjoy every centimeter of the mouth they have missed so much. _"Sakura, stop this. It's too dangerous."_ But she doesn't care anymore. Sasuke lifts her against her appartament door, his hands on her butt, her legs wrapping his hips. Her hands fist his raven locks, the silkiest hair she's ever touched.

They are drinking on each other like if they are going to die anytime soon. Her inner core is aching so much that she only wants to be filled by him to the very brim. Their breathes are heavy, she can feel Sasuke's body stiffen, his passion is throbbing against her tights. She's trying as hard as she can to not let any sound out of her mouth, but a soft whimper escapes. And her voice only makes Sasuke's kiss even more passionate. There's hunger, there's lust, there's greed. Sasuke's right hand stops fondling his butt and head up to her breasts, while her left hand stands her weight and-

_Beep beep beep_.

_Beep beep beep._

Sakura opens her eyes. A heavy-breathing, sweaty Sasuke is frowning. They both try to catch their breath. She knows her lips are swollen, her eyes heavy-lidden. And she also knows she should be embarassed to let him see her with such a naughty face, but her mind is still fogged.

_Beep beep beep._

_Beep beep beep._

They stay like that for what seems minutes, just gazing at each other. Then Sasuke slowly lets her down, taking care that she doesn't fall to the floor. Sakura tries to keep her balance supporting herself against her appartament door. But his onyx eyes don't leave hers, only for a second to check his phone and turn down the incoming call.

"I got to go."

She can only see his back now, the spiky hair that she always found so sexy. Sakura nods and watches him leave. _"This is a dream. Now I'll weak up in my bed." _

Her appartment is cold, her bed feels empty. She hasn't fixed her clothes nor her hair. She like to keep the mess that Sasuke made of her. Her fingers graze her lips, trying to remember that burning kiss. _"He kissed me." _She closes her eyes. _"Why? Why so suddenly?" _She has so many questions for him, she wants so many answers. _"What the hell is going on my life?"_

* * *

"Look who's here!" Itachi's cheerful voice welcomes him. "How was your date, Sasuke?"

"It wasn't a date."

Sasuke's voice is annoyed. Itachi watches him as he gets a Coke from the fridge and throws himself on the couch.

"Woah, woah, chill." Itachi is making the dinner. He enjoys cooking. "Ah, and I'm making a home-made pizza and a salad. I guess you want me to put some tomatoes on it?"

"Hn."

"So aren't you going to tell me how it went?" Itachi wants to know why his little brother is so... annoyed.

"I kissed her."

"WHAT?"

Itachi runs out from the kitchen, his eyes widened, his mouth open with surprise. He sure looks funny with his floral apron, his ponnytail, and holding the rice spoon in his right hand, but Sasuke is far from enjoying this situation. Itachi waits for Sasuke to explain what he said, but the young Uchiha just keeps his eyes on the TV.

"Did you actually _kiss _her?" Itachi repeats, utterly shocked.

Sasuke suddenly gets up and heads to the bathroom, his face is a stoic mask once again.

"Aren't you going to tell me what happened?" Itachi repeats.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"I've never seen you acting so weird. What's going on with that girl?" Itachi frowns. "You never spoke about any other girl besides her, not even when we were at Kiri."

"Stop being so nosy."

Itachi hears the shower. Sasuke doesn't want to talk right now. The older Uchiha goes back to the kitchen and checks the pizza. It is still half raw. _"15 more minutes."_ Then he realizes why that girl sounds so familiar. _"She was... Sasori's girlfriend?"_

* * *

It's midnight and he still can't sleep. But he should. His shift starts at 9 am, and policemen need to sleep well. _"Why did I tell Itachi?"_ Maybe he wanted to check that it _actually _happened, that it wasn't his mind tricking him. The shower didn't help at all. He had to jerk off, almost furiously, to calm down his passion. His mind was so filled with Sakura that it hurt. Sasuke wishes he could have pictured her like that. Her rosy lips swollen, her cheeks blushed, her beautiful eyes heavy-lidded and darkened. Sasuke also wants to recall her whimpers, the touch of her tights against his waist. _"But she said friends."_ Maybe that's the reason he kissed her. Maybe he doesn't want her to forget about him, about his lust, his need. Maybe he wants her to love him just like Naruto said.

_"Why does she want us to be just friends?" _Sasuke kissed her to show her _why_ they should be more than friends, since he is not good at expressing his feelings with words. But he also knows he has hurt her, a lot. And perhaps she will never forgive him for leaving her alone. _"I need to try it."_ But she wants to know his reasons. Sakura wants to know the truth. And what is Sasuke going to say? _"My parents died in a car crash. Itachi and I left for Kiri, where lives the rest of our family. We had to adapt to people we didn't even know, and I coulnd't get over my parents death. Uncle Madara sent Itachi to a private university, I was left alone in a place I didn't like, without my friends. Without Team 7." _

Sasuke wants to tell Sakura that he still loves her, that he doesn't want to be only his friend anymore, that he has waited 5 years to hear her sweet voice again. But he's not sure. He doesn't want her to pity him, he doesn't want to show his weak side to anyone. _"What the hell am I going to do?"_

When he closes his eyes to sleep, it's already 3 am.


	5. Fears

**Author's note:**

Hey there! So I was really bored while studying and I came up with this chapter -boring subjects can bring up great creative ideas lol.

Thank you all for your reviews, your favorites and your follows. I'm so happy that you are enjoying this story as much as I do.

However, I'm feeling a little _under-pressure_. I never expected this great feedback in only 4 chapters so I'm kind of... overwhelmed. I'm really afraid that I might disappoint you on future chapters, so don't hesitate to make suggestions or ask me about something you don't understand. I just want you to have a great time while reading this fic.

And I saw that some authors post pictures of the places and dresses. I'd like to know if you'd like me to illustrate that kind of things by posting links to images on my profile or on the A/N.

Sorry for writing such a bible, I leave you now with the chapter.

PD: Sasuke-jelly will have to wait till next chapter!

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

It's 8 pm on Christma's Day at Ichiraku's. There are only two customers, and one of them is a tired Uchiha Sasuke. He didn't actually want to come, but Naruto can be _really_ stubborn. However, Sasuke didn't have any plans -working late and being a loner at home isn't exactly a _valid plan _for his best friend- so he puts on a dark jersey and a pair of black jeans and told Itachi he would be late tonight. _"At least I'll get to see her."_

It had been a week since _that_ happened. He didn't even want to think anymore about it. _"I should stop this."_ But it was his body what moved on it's own, not his brain. He didn't think logically, and that was dangerous. It's actually really dangerous that she doesn't let him think _logically_.

"Hinata's father scares the shit out of me." Naruto shivers before taking off his coat. "He personally wants to supervise the ceremony, can you believe it? I want my wedding to be actually _mine_'ttebayo!"

"That's reasonable." Sasuke sits on the stool next to him.

"Whaddaya mean, teme?! You're supposed to be on _my _side." Naruto scowls at him.

Sasuke points a finger at his clothes -an orange shirt, a pair of bright blue pants- like _"Are you actually asking why?"_.

"My clothes aren't that bad!"

"They are from the royalty, dobe. Don't you know what a dress-code is?" Sasuke suddenly feels too tired to explain it to his bestfriend.

"Oi, teme." Naruto's voice is suddenly serious. "Did you talk to Sakura-chan about _that_ yet?"

"She told me to meet her." Sasuke keeps it cool. He doesn't want Naruto to think that he_ actually_ cares about her. "She wants us to be friends. You were wrong, dobe."

"Whaaaaa-? That can't be true! I mean, I know her like I know you and I-"

"Shut up, dobe." Sasuke hits Naruto's rib with his elbow.

The blond-haired man is about to open his mouth to complain when the third member of Team 7 appears. She's wearing a simple, navy green, knee lenght dress and black stockings. It's kind of a tight dress, so Sasuke can notice the curves of her hips and the round, sweet shape of her breasts. _"She has a fine body."_ Her long, wavy, pink hair falls gracefully down her shoulders. Sasuke has to look away, afraid that he will get lost into her emerald eyes once again. _"Damn it, Sasuke. Stop behaving like a teenager._

"Sorry for being late!" Sakura apologizes with a sweet smile, her face is makeup-free.

"Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto gives her a bear hug. "What are those bags that you're carrying for?"

Sakura's lips curve into a playful smile.

"I brought some gifts, baka. Isn't it Christmas?"

Naruto facepalms himself.

"Oh, I forgot about that! Sorry, Sakura-chan, I'll pay for the dinner then!"

Sakura hesitates a bit before sitting down. She finally choses the stool next to Naruto, and Sasuke tries not to wonder why she is kind of avoiding him. He has watched their team mates conversation, and he feels now a bit of an _outsider_. He silently wishes she would be like that with him too, but he just stays silent and greets her with a nod. And he also notices how she slightly blushes when her eyes meet his for a second. _"Is she still thinking about what happened a week ago?"_

"Where is Kakashi-sensei? I'm hungry!" Naruto complains.

"He's probably going to be late for about an hour." Sakura says nonchalantly. "Did you already forget about him?"

"Hello there." Ichiraku's owner approaches to them. His eyes widen when he sees their faces. "Woah, long time no see you all together, kids! Christmas meeting?"

"Kind of." Naruto grins at him. He's utterly happy to be there with his bestfriends. "Better late than never, huh?" He then pats Sasuke's back -which only gets him an Uchiha death-glare.

While Naruto starts his ramen order -which includes 5 ramen flavours-, Sasuke takes a quick gaze at Sakura. She's smiling, her face just as innocent as it was 5 years ago. _"She looks happy._" And him? He should be happy too. His team is reunited, they have forgiven him -at least Naruto did, he's not sure about Sakura-, but something inside of his heart keeps telling him that he's missed _everything_.

"Yo, teme! Are you gonna make your order?"

"Shoyu ramen." Sasuke asks for the same ramen he used to eat _back then_.

"A'ight, kids. I'll be back in a while." The owner says and disappears towards the kitchen.

"I can't believe he remembers us!" Sakura tells Naruto, her eyes widen a little with surprise. "It's been _ages_ since the last time we were all here."

"Well, I come here sometimes when I want a break from work." Naruto says. "This place makes me feel comfortable. Do you remember the time I got the old man so angry because I-?"

As a relaxed Sakura laughs at Naruto's story, Sasuke looks around him. It's just as he remembers it. The lights are subtle, the forniture is old-fashioned and the owner is the same old man. Even the smells are smilar. He would never forget the afternoons Team 7 spent there. Naruto would always drag them to Ichiraku's after an exam, ignoring Sakura and Sasuke's complaints. He unintentionally smiles. _"Those were indeed good times." _But he quickly goes back to his stoic face. _"That was the past."_

Once they finish their meals, Naruto orders sake. Sasuke knows that his blond friend has already noticed that Sakura hasn't talked to him, that her eyes are avoiding his onyx pools and her legs tremble a little when the dark haired man speaks. Naruto doesn't scold him for being so quiet because they know each other too well. When their gazes meet, they know what the other is thinking.

"Yo." A manly voice greets him from behind.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura's voice is excited.

"You're late, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto complains.

Sasuke just nods. Their old teacher finally meets his beloved Team 7. Kakashi's hair is still a wild mess, his mouth covered by a high, black turtle-neck jersey. _"Some things never change_." He gives her ex-students a mysterious smile.

"You have known me for years. I thought I didn't have to warn you." Kakashi says while taking a sit next to Sasuke.

"How have you been, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asks with a sweet smile, and she takes a specially care not to meet Sasuke's eyes while searching for her ex-sensei's face.

"Can't complain. I'm just an old man now."

"You know what Kakashi-sensei! My politic party is about to shot for the presidency'ttebayo!"

"That's nice, Naruto. You are a stubborn one."

"That's my _ninja_ way!" Naruto grins.

"What about you, Sakura?"

"Oh, I'm currently working at an art gallery. It's called Akatsuki." Her eyes sparkle when she talks about paintings. "A lot of people have been buying my paintings lately but I'm still trying to get my own show."

"You were always a talented girl." Kakashi's compliment makes Sakura a bit embarrassed. _"She's always been kind of tsundere."_

They keep talking -and Sasuke keeps being it's quiet self- until sake starts to make it's effect. Naruto gets on a conversation with Sakura about his wedding. Their tipsy voices and their amused laughs fill the room.

"They sure are loud as always." Sasuke frowns.

"They are just young." Kakashi says and takes a sip. "I heard the Uchiha brothers are back to the police."

"It's not that important." Sasuke tries to avoid the subject, but Kakashi doesn't ask about his family. _"He probably knows but he doesn't want to be rude."_

"You should relax a bit more, Sasuke." Kakashi's smiles enigmaticly. "Aren't you young too?"

"Sooooo-"

Sakura's excited voice surprises them. She gets up, haging her shopping bags on her right hand. _"She's so little yet so lively."_ Her sweet smile reaches Sasuke, but her eyes are trying not to focus on him. Sasuke inwardly smirks. _"So she's actually shy with me."_

"It's gift timeee!"

She hands a bag to each man. Naruto _'yays'_ and grins at her; Kakashi simply smiles. Then she is in front of Sasuke, and he notices how awkwardly she handles the bag at him, how she tries not to graze his fingers, how her cheeks are burning just because Sasuke's gazing at her. _"She can't forget about it."_ And maybe he's feeling... satisfied to cause such arousal at her. _"Sasuke, stop."_ He remains stoic and focuses on the bag, realizing that she picked them specially for each one. Naruto's is orange, Kakashi's is grey and Sasuke's black. He inwardly smiles. _"She's still such a sweet girl."_

After thirty minutes drinking and thanking Sakura for her amazing paintings, Naruto anounces that he can't let Hinata wait for him anymore. He gives a bear hug to his Sakura-chan, pats Sasuke's back -which causes a death glare from the dark-haired man- and nods to Kakashi, who is leaving too since Naruto offers to drive him home.

Then Sasuke ends up alone with Sakura outside Ichiraku's. It's snowing again but he knows Sakura is not shivering because of the cold air. The night is not dark enough to hide her blushed cheeks. They stay silent for a moment, and Sasuke feels comfortable standing next to her. Sakura's eyes are fixed on the snowflakes falling from the sky, but as long as her smile is that sweet, Sasuke doesn't care about anything else. _"Stop it, Sasuke."_

"I'm tired." Her voice is a little bit tipsy. "Are you walking home?"

Sasuke nods. "Itachi's appartment is near here."

"Oh, right." She hesitates. "Then..."

"I can walk you home." Sasuke says, but he suddenly scolds himself. _"The fuck did I say?"_

Sakura is shocked, her eyes widen and search for his onyx pools.

"I mean, it's late." Sasuke tries to make it clear that he doesn't want to be with her nor kiss her -which is a total and stupid lie he just keeps telling himself.

"Oh..." Her full lips curve into a little smile but her eyes show how nervous she is. "I'll be fine. You shouldn't worry about me. And I live nearby. Now that I think about it, I'm just a few blocks away from home, and you know how small is Konoha's downtown. It-"

"You don't need to explain it." Sasuke shuts her up gently.

"Sorry." She mutters.

But he only can only look at her lips, those full, rosy lips that tasted so sweet just a week ago. And those legs that were wrapped around his waist while he hold her weight with a hand on her delicious butt. Sasuke wants to feel it all again, he wants it so badly that he suddenly feels his passion growing slowly at his naughty thoughts. _"What the fuck is this girl doing to me?"_

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun."

And the honorific surprises him so much that his eyes widen and his mouth opens a little. She's looking at him like she is a very angel, like that 16 year old girl that took his first kiss. Her smile is so sweet, so pure that it reaches his dark heart like a light beam. Sasuke has to take all his might to stay calm like the grown up man he is. _"I'm Uchiha Sasuke, I'm not a teenage boy anymore."_

"Goodnight, Sakura."

There's no kiss now, there's no display of passion. He turns his back to her and starts walking away. What he needs now is a hot shower and a long night of sleep. What he _actually _needs now is to forget about her emerald eyes for a while. _"I can't be weak." _He takes a look at Sakura's gift: a pair of black gloves and a little painting -a hawk resting peacefully on a cherryblossom branch. _"How can she remember that a hawk is my favorite animal?"_

He's overwhelmed by emotions, by feelings he spent 5 years without. _"It's too much."_ He promised himself that he would be a strong man, that his heart would never be broken again, that his emotional walls would protect him from sorrow. The cool, awesome, badass Uchiha Sasuke is scared of _loving again._

* * *

"Hurry up, Sakura!" Deidara yells at her from the other side of the show room. "They will be here any moment soon!"

"I'm almost done." Sakura yells back at him.

She finishes fixing the marionette to the wall and runs up to the receptionist desk. A small mirror on her bag helps her to check her make-up. Black mascara -fine-, pinky-purple lipstick -applied-. _"Okay, my face is fine."_ She takes a peek at her stockings -they are not torn, thanks Kami-sama! _"Stupid Deidara, making me fix everything just an hour before opening."_

She was so scared of getting her new dress dirty! Ino took her out for shopping two days before and they found this sequin, purple, long-sleeved dress that stopped at her mid-tights. However, she obviously didn't tell her friend about what happened with Sasuke two weeks ago. Hell, she's been barely trying not to think about it the whole time since that night. Her kneels melt a little when she recalls what she _felt_. _"It's a good thing that my black, high-heels are not that high." _It's been a week since she saw him for the last time, and she already misses him. _"Friendship should be easier."_

"Sakura, check if anyone arrived yet. The apetizers and the drinks are ready." Deidara's voice is excited.

"Sure, boss!"

Tonight is a big night at the Akatsuki Art Gallery -Akasuna no Sasori is showing off his newest marionette's collection. _"Great. Now I'll have to see his pretty face all night long."_ Sakura is annoyed. She doesn't want to see her ex-boyfriend again. How can she look at Sasori's eyes knowing that she only _used _him to forget about Sasuke? How can she talk to him when just a look from Sasuke is enough to set her insides in fire? _"I'm such a terrible person."_ She didn't feel anything more than physical pleasure in six months having sex with Sasori, and it was hard for her not to imagine having _him _inside of her and not the man she actually loved. Not that he wasn't good at it -he just wasn't Sasuke. _"Sakura, focus."_

The show room -beautifully decorated and subtly illuminated- starts getting filled by people. They all are dressed in fancy clothes and perfect hairstyles. _"Maybe I should have braided my hair in something more original than a simple messy bun and straight bangs."_ There she is once again feeling like a little girl in this huge crowded room. Deidara is busy talking to some clients, she can't recognize a familiar face. It's just like a _jet-set_ party. _"And I'm all alone, yay!" _Stupid Deidara and his stupid art gallery. She should be in her bed watching series, not all dressed up working on a party.

The music starts playing -a slow jazz song- and she heads for a Martini at the counter. A nice, young barman takes her order and tells her to wait for a second near the counter. _"At least I can get my drink and hide in a corner until this shit is over."_ She curses Ino for not willing to come and stay with her.

"You're beautiful tonight, Sakura-chan." A well-known voice reaches her.

_"Kami-sama, are you kidding me?"_

There is a red-haired man in front of her. His brown, warm eyes smile at Sakura. He's wearing a navy blue suit and a dark, green bowtie. Sakura can't deny that he's _actually_ hot. _"Lots of girls would die to be with him." _He has to look down since he's taller than her -even when she's wearing high-heels. His lips curve into a smile, and Sakura wishes she could have actually _felt_ something for him. _"He's still a good guy."_

"Deidara didn't tell me you were going to be here." His voice is sweet.

"Well, I'm just working tonight." Sakura keeps it cool. "You should go on and have fun. It's _your _party, isn't it?"

Sasori laughs softly.

"C'mon, Sakura. You weren't such a party-pooper back then." He says, getting a little closer to her.

"Your Martini, ma'am." The barman handles her the glass.

"I'll have a Gintonic." Sasori says.

"Sure, sir." The barman disappears.

"So how has it been, Sakura-chan?" He focuses on her again.

"Fine." She manages to say, taking a sip of her martini. "What about you? Oh, and congratulations. It's a wonderful collection."

"Thanks." He says sweetly. "I'm glad you like it. Would you like to take a walk around the room? I'd like to show you a pair of interesting marionettes. They remind me of you."

"Erm..." Sakura hesitates. She's feeling so awkward. "I'm working. Deidara will kill me if I get distracted and something happens."

"Nothing bad will happen, ba-ka." Sasori smiles.

But Sasori's eyes don't succeed on winning her attention because Sakura has catched a glimpse of black at the corner of her eyes. There's a dark-haired man, his hair braided on a ponnytail, hugging Deidara. They look friendly and they laugh together. _"Itachi?" _He's wearing a red shirt and a dark pair of jeans. _"Now I know why Sasuke is so handsome. He has such a good-looking brother!"_

And then, right after him, another man appears. He's younger and taller than Itachi, but his hair is as black as a raven's wing too. Sakura watches as he takes his coat off and reveals a simple black suit -no bowtie, the first two buttons of his white shirt are undone- that fits his hot body perfectly. But it's the spiky back of his dark hair and the onyx pools that are his eyes what cause her heart to start beating furiously.

_"What in the Seven Hells is he doing here?"_


	6. With or without you

**Author's note:**

Hey guys!

Thank you so much for you support -favorites, follows and reviews-, I'm so glad that you like this story as much as I do!

**Sasukesakura28**: I didn't want Sakura to wait for Sasuke because I'm tired of that. In almost every single fanfiction I've read, Sakura is the typical innocent girl that stays virgin while Sasuke can do whatever he pleases with his body. And I _hate _that. My 'kind of Sakura' is an independent woman who has physical desires as any other human being. This girl here waited _3 years _-you can read about it later on this chapter- for the love of her life. And when he keeps missing, she then chooses to carry on with her life, because she's 21 years old and she wants to enjoy her youth. Yes, she tried to forget Sasuke with another guy -which is a _horrible _thing to do- but she makes mistakes like everybody does. [Sorry for the big explanation.]

If you have any questions or you want to share your opinion, leave me a review please. I love learning from your points of view, you inspire and encourage me. Review for grammar mistakes or typos are also kindly welcome.

[Who loves Jellysuke? I do!]

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

There's a lot of people in the show room. Their conversations mix in an annoying background sound that never disappears. And Sasuke hates that. He can't help but scowl while Itachi greets Deidara. Why did he even agree to go there when he could be at home -alone-? His big brother always ends up persuading him. _"Damn you, Itachi."_ He has to leave Itachi's side before all his loud friends appear or he will be done for the whole night.

"I'm going for a drink, niisan."

Sasuke doesn't wait for Itachi's response and heads for the counter. It takes him more time than it should. Some women try to talk to him or hit on him, and he has to sneak from them. He despises how women throw themselves at him. It makes him feel utterly uncomfortable. He likes to be _alone_, is that so hard to understand?

_"Or maybe you want someone else to be with you." _His thoughts betray him again, and he shooks his head. No, he's better _alone_. _"I would hurt _her._"_

"Whiskey." Sasuke tells to the barman, who nods and disappears.

He leans against the counter, trying to ignore the people surrounding him, when something catches his attention. _"Is that... pink hair?"_ His eyes narrow when he sees _her_. _"Sakura?". _Sasuke suddenly has the urge to facepalm himself. Of course she is here, she _works _here. _"Damn, why didn't I remember about that?" _

She's beautiful -even more when she smiles so sweetly-, and Sasuke appreciates that her face is almost make-up free. He may not admit it, but he really likes Sakura's naturalness. The crowd doesn't let him see her full body, but he can tell that dress fits her sexy body perfectly. _"Why the hell am I so attracted to her?" _It had never happened to him, to actually _desire _a woman. He never looks at the rest of women the same way he looks at Sakura. _"Why?" _It frustrates him. And he hates that.

Suddenly, Sasuke realizes something that makes him unconsciously burn with rage. A tall, red-haired man is next to her -_really close_ to her actually-, and his arm is embracing her waist, his hand resting on her hip. _"What the fuck is that dude doing?"_ Stay calm, Sasuke. Play it cool. That's none of your business. _"But who the hell is him?" _Sasuke turns his back to them quickly. He doesn't get to see how Sakura gently pushes Sasori away when she feels his hand on her hip.

"Your whiskey, sir."

"Hn."

Taking a sip, he reaches the terrace in a few, long steps. Sasuke needs the cold air to hit his face to make him stop thinking about what he just saw. _"Why was Sakura so comfortable with that guy?" _Now he knows what bothers him. He doesn't want _another man_ to have her, to touch her, to be _that_ close to her. A sip of whiskey warms his body, he has almost finished the glass.

Sasuke's angry. He's starting to feel lots of new things -things he didn't even know that existed-, and _that_ should _never_ have happened. He is Uchiha Sasuke, for god's sake, he just doesn't _feel. _But it's the first time he sees Sakura like that, and he doesn't like it, not even a tiny bit. _"Fuck this party and fuck Itachi, I'm leaving." _

"Sasuke-kun?" A female, soft voice surprises him, but he refuses to face her. She takes a few steps to him. "What are you doing here all alone?"

Sasuke turns to her, his face as stoic as always. The moonlight baths Sakura's body and hair, and he suddenly has the urge to hold her in his arms, but he refrains. _"She's my friend, right? I'll treat her like a friend." _

"I'm leaving. Have fun." He snaps and starts walking towards the exit.

"Wha-? Sasuke-kun!" She calls him but he doesn't acknowledge her.

Sakura runs to him and grasps the back of his coat, trying to force him to stay. His eyes widen a little, he stops. Maybe if he lets her talk, she will let him go away. Her emerald eyes evaluate his face. Sasuke bets she doesn't realize how beautiful she actually is when her cheeks are blushed.

"What's wrong?" She has a sweet smile on her rosy lips. "I know it's not _that great_ inside, but we could have a good time together." Sakura moves her hips playfully and Sasuke can tell she's had a few Martinis already. "We could dance! And maybe we could pull a prank on Deidara, he's really funny when he's mad."

Sasuke suddenly remembers that red-haired man and he can't control his mouth for a second.

"Go inside, your boyfriend will miss you." His voice is sharp and cold like a shard of ice.

Her eyes widen. She's a bit tipsy so she doesn't get the real meaning of Sasuke's words. Sakura shooks her head, a soft laugh escapes her pretty mouth. _"Does she find it funny that I'm angry?"_

"You mean Sasori? He's a nice guy but I don't like him." She tugs Sasuke's coat like a child again. "C'mon, Sasuke-kun, let's go inside! Itachi told me that you don't like crowds but-"

Her annoying behaviour gets on Sasuke's nerves and he can't stop his words for the second time this night.

"Did you date that guy?"

"Wha-" Sakura looks genuinely surprised, but she gazes the floor now. Sasuke's sure that her eyes don't have that funny spark anymore. "Yes, I did. But we broke up one year ago. I didn't-"

"Have fun with him, then." He turns his back to her and starts walking away. _"I don't need to hear anything more."_

"Are you serious?" Her voice is angry now.

Sasuke can hear her rushed steps, and he can't help but to stop again when she faces him, her pink eyebrowns frowning.

"What is wrong with you?" But Sakura doesn't wait for him to answer, she knows he's just _not_ _going to. _"I don't understand what is going through your mind but-" Sakura hesitates. "I didn't love him." _Like I loved you, _she wants to say.

But Sasuke's too mad. And the world trembles when an Uchiha is enraged.

"Yet you let him fuck you, right?"

And suddenly Sakura slaps him. Roughly. Who knew such a sweet, little girl could get _this_ angry?

Sasuke's eyes widen, he inmediately regrets what he has just said. He actually realizes _how mean_ he has just been to her. And, for the first time in his life, he really _needs _to apologize to her. His anger, his jealousness, every single mean feeling he had, disapears when he sees Sakura's hurt emerald eyes.

"You stupid, hypocritical bastard!" She yells at him, her face red with anger. "How can you-" Her voice is about to break, she's trying to hold her tears back. "How can you _judge _me? I-I waited 3 years!"

Emerald hits onyx vehemently. "I waited 3 years for _you_ because I _loved _you. I messaged you every single night and you ignored all of my calls. I didn't know _a single thing_ about you!"

She starts to shiver when the tears start streaming down her cheeks. "And yet you blame me because I tried to carry on with my life..."

Sakura backs up a few steps, like she wants to run away from him. "I should have never tried to be friends with you... You are not _Sasuke-kun_ anymore... And since you won't tell what the hell happened to you, I don't want anything to be with the cold, selfish man you have become!"

Sasuke is speechless. His body is so frozen that he can't run up to her to make a proper apologize. He just stands there, watching her run away back into the show room. When he finally loses the sight of her beautiful pink hair, he makes up his mind.

_"It's over."_

Two hours later, Sasuke is laying on his bed, his hair still damp from a long, warm shower. Itachi is still at that party, so he enjoys the silence and the quietness of being home-alone. And yet his mind is horribly haunted.

He can't stop thinking about that angry look in her eyes and the way she clenched her fists while crying. Once again, Uchiha Sasuke had hurt Haruno Sakura. And once again, he had no idea how to fix it. He came back to Konoha expecting his teenage sweetheart to be the same caring and loving girl she was before he left. But now, Sasuke realizes that everything has changed. And it may be too late to win her back.

_"Maybe I should just... let her go."_

* * *

"Here, your chocolate cake ma'am."

"Oh, thanks."

Sakura has just bought the most delicious chocolate cake ever made, and it wasn't just because she likes chocolate. Today is a special day, she's going to her parents house for her mother's birthday. And you obviously need a cake to celebrate that.

January is about to end but it's still freezing cold. She only takes the subway for 10 minutes before reaching her old home. _"It feels nostalgic."_ It is a small house, not very impressive, but really cozy. The small garden is beautiful and Sakura realizes that her mom is actually taking care of the flowers Ino gifted her.

_Ding, dong._

Sakura hears her mom scolding her dad and then the door opens. Haruno Mebuki has always been a strong woman but her eyes widen with surprise, not believing who is at her house entrance.

"Happy birthday, kaa-san!" Sakura smiles sweetly.

"Sakura!" Her mom pulls her in a tight hug. "Hurry up and come inside, I don't want you to catch a cold."

_"You'll catch a cold." _Those words remind her of onyx eyes and black hair. She inwardly shooks her head. Today is not the day for regrets and bitter thoughts. She already cried enough this last month.

"Kizashi, darling! Look who came home!"

Her dad ruffles her hair and kisses her cheek. Haruno Kizashi has always been the understanding type of father who spoils her daughter and treats her like a princess.

"Okaeri, honey."

Mebuki is an excellent cook so Sakura enjoys every bit of the lunch. Tempura, sashimi, gyoza and yakitori. _"My mom knows how to make me happy."_ Sakura feels absolutely delighted to have a break from her chaotic life. Her parents make her comfortable and don't ask anything she doesn't want to tell them. _"I missed them so much."_

"Sakura, how is Deidara-san?" Her mom asks. "I thought about cooking some tamagoyaki for him as a New Year's gift."

"He's doing fine. We don't have much work lately since we aren't hosting any show." Sakura takes a bite of tuna sashimi.

"What about your own paintings?" Her dad opens a beer.

"Oh, I'm selling pretty well lately. A friend of Deidara bought three of my Kyuubi collection and I sold six more on the Christmas fair." Sakura smiles, relaxed. She's proud of her hard-work. "You should see my appartment. There are more canvas than food."

Kizashi laughs but Mebuki frowns.

"Maybe I should drop by your appartment and help you clean it up a bit. I could also replenish your fridge if you are busy." Her mom says concerned.

"Don't worry, kaa-san. I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"Oi, honey." Her father suddenly remembers something. "You didn't bring Naruto nor Ino for a Christmas dinner! Are they okay? I heard that blond dummy is doing well on his job."

"Oh, yeah, sorry!" Sakura facepalms herself. "I actually met him for a dinner, and Kakashi-sensei was there too. And I also went shopping with Ino a few weeks ago. She's not a lot around Konoha since the Yamanakas are opening another store at Kiri."

"Kakashi-sensei?" His father takes a sip of beer and her mom gets up to bring the desserts. "It's been ages since the last time you mentioned him. And the other boy? The one with dark hair? You never talk about him anymore."

_"Sasuke."_ The memory of him is enough for her heart to clench, but she tries to keep his onyx eyes out of her mind. _"I can't cry in front of my parents."_ Her mom comes back with the chocolate cake and Sakura thanks Kami-sama for the perfect opportunity to change the subject.

"Yay, chocolate cake!" She giggles. "You see mom, it looks delicious!"

Mebuki is about tu cut it when Kizashi ask them to pay attention to the TV.

"Oi, oi! Look at that!"

_"Three policemen were seriously injured during a robbery in a Konoha jewelry shop last night. The jeweller was succesfully protected and he could escape unharmed, but the two robbers died-"_

But Sakura isn't able to hear anything more. She sees on TV how a dark haired policeman falls to the ground after being shot. His face is blurred but she recognises the spiky back of his hair at first sight. Her heart clenchs painfully. _"Seriously injured."_ She can yell at him or ignore him, but she _can't_ lose him. _"He can't be gone."_

Sakura suddenly gets up, not knowing what to do. Should she go to the hospital to check him or should she wait and call Naruto after lunch? Kizashi looks at her confused.

"What's wrong, honey? Did that video scare you?"

"Dad, I just remembered I have something to do."

"Huh?" Kizashi frowns.

"Yeah... I have to meet Ino." Sakura gets her purse and puts on her coat.

"Didn't you say that Ino is out? O-oi, Sakura!"

"Love you, kaa-san, tou-san!" Sakura closes the door behind her.

_"What the hell am I doing?"_ She tries to think coherently but she can't stop running to the subway station. The hospital is not far away.

Sakura ignored Sasuke's phone calls -exactly four- the two days after their argument. He got the hint and left her alone. Maybe it was the best for both of them, to lose the contact. The way he spoke to her that night hurt her so much that Sakura spent almost a week only leaving her appartment to work at the gallery. She didn't answer her phone, she didn't check her mail, she didn't let her see outside her room. It was too painful to remember Sasuke's cold voice again and again. Their friendship wasn't going to work, but deep inside she still hoped it would. _"Loving someone who doesn't love you back is awful."_

But there she is right now, running to the hospital. Her long hair is messy because of the wind and her straight bangs fall in her eyes. At least her jeans and her light-green jersey are fine. _"Why am I worrying about my looks?"_ Because it always ends and starts in Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

The hospital is full with people and she has to wait a few minutes before speaking to the receptionist, an old black woman with black curly hair.

"What can I do for you, hun?"

"I'm searching for-" Sakura hesitates. "Police Uchiha's room."

"Oh you mean that dark-haired hottie? He's pretty beaten up." The woman realizes how concerned Sakura is and smiles softly. "Don't worry hun, he'll be alright. Policemen are always tough. Let me see... Huh, room 1402. Fourth floor."

"Thanks, ma'am."

1402\. She looks at the number in the door. But she doesn't have the courage to enter. What if he's _actually_ bad? What if he just wants to rest? Maybe he doesn't want to see her, or she shouldn't be there. Maybe everything is a big mistake. _"Naruto should be here, not me."_

"He's sleeping." A manly voice surprises her.

"Itachi-san!" Sakura's eyes widen with surprise.

Sasuke's older brother is holding a coffee in his right hand. He hasn't sleep much, there are dark circles under his onyx eyes. His ponytail is messy. _"He has slept here."_ Sakura would expect him to be sad, but his smile is sweet.

"Why don't you go in? Naruto already visited him last night but he couldn't stay long. Sasuke will appreciate to see a friendly face when he wakes up." Itachi's voice is soft, understanding.

"I don't know if-" Sakura hesitates. _"Did Sasuke tell him about _us_?"_

"C'mon, Sakura-chan. I have to leave in a while. I want you to take care of him while I'm away."

Itachi holds the door open for Sakura and she goes in slowly. She's so scared to face Sasuke. Her heart clenchs when she sees that his right eye is purple and he has a cut on his left cheek. His stomach and his chest are bandaged. But his facial expression is peaceful. There's a catheter in his forearm giving him blood serum and an electrode on his chest to monitor his heartbeat. _"Sasuke is alive. Sasuke is alive and is not going to die."_ Her eyes water with relief. _"Sasuke."_

"He's fine." Itachi whispers, trying not to wake up his brother. "The doctors operated on him and saved his life. They will have to check for heart damage later, since it stopped beating a few times during the surgery."

Sakura lets her body fall on the sofa, her head bowed down. Tears start to fall from her beautiful emerald eyes.

"Thank you, Itachi-san." Her voice trembles.

She feels an arm around her shoulder and Itachi's warm body helps her to stop crying.

"Sasuke's still with us, Sakura-chan. I know how important you are for him. He wouldn't let go without fighting for you." Itachi whispers.

_"How I wish that was true."_

"I'm leaving for work. Tell the nurses when you're done so they keep an eye on him. Ja ne, Sakura-chan." Itachi smiles sweetly at her one last time and closes the door.

The silence, the machines _beeps_ and Sasuke's silent breathing are a relaxing lullaby. Sakura leans on the sofa and closes her eyes. She's too shocked, her heart and her brain can't bear her feelings anymore. It's dawning outside, warm orange light dye the room. She looks at Sasuke one last time, making sure that he is _actually _there, alive.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun." She mutters.

Sleep slowly reaches her. But what she doesn't know is that Sasuke wasn't completely asleep. And he has heard it all, even if he just thinks that it is only a dream. When he finally lets his mind rest, his lips curve in a small smile.


	7. Rapture

**Author's note:**

Hello my beauties! Thank you very much for you encouraging reviews, you follows and your favorites.

Short chapter, I know, but I don't want to rush things. I'm planning on writing 6 chapters more, aprox. This story was originally planned to be 12-13 chapters long, and I'm still certain about that.

I've also started a new story named **Little Bird**, featuring **SasuSaku** and located in the **Era of the Warring Kingdoms**, kind of **AU **tho. You can check it out on my profile.

I hope you enjoy today's chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are kindly welcome.

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

_"My head hurts, and my stomach too... Mi muscles are sore... What happened?"_

Sasuke opens his eyes but his vision takes a while to become clear. He blinks several times before trying to sit up. The bed, the sheets and the uniform he's wearing are not familiar to him. _"I'm... at the hospital?"_ Now he remembers the robbery, and the sound of the guns shooting at him reverberates in his mind. _"I guess I'm alive." _

He's alone in his room, the machine's _beep _is soft, and he's actually surprised to be _alive_. Sasuke can clearly picture the moment his vision went black and the earth started to devour his body. _"And all happened just because I wanted to protect my teammates."_ It's Sasuke's first accident on a mission, but it was worth it. He saved his colleague.

Then something catches his sight. There's a little paper in the night stand. Sasuke's eyes narrow confused.

_"Ohayo Sasuke-kun, it's Sakura. I'm sorry for leaving before you woke up but I had to work. I hope you get better so you can go back on being a super-policeman again _[Sasuke's lips curve into a small smile, amused]. _If you need something just phone me, my shift ends at 8."_

At the end of the paper there is something over crossed out, like she wrote something but she regretted writing it. And somehow, Sasuke knows what it might be. He also knows that she was there for hours, sleeping in the sofa, mumbling something about love.

A normal person would visit her right after leaving the hospital. A normal person would call her right after finishing the letter. A normal person would be overflowing with joy. But we all know that Sasuke is Sasuke, and he will fold the letter to keep it safe and just pretend that Sakura's feelings don't affect him.

_Beep beep_

[Unknown number]

_Beep beep_

"Police Uchiha Sasuke here." Sasuke says, picking up his phone.

"Sasuke. How are you?" A deep, raspy voice surprises him.

"Uncle Madara?" Sasuke's eyes widen.

"Yeah. I was calling to check up on you. I heard you got _hurt._"

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Sasuke doesn't really think that's the reason why his uncle called him.

"Ah, I'm glad. I don't want such a good nephew to-."

"What do you want, Uncle?" Sasuke can't stand it anymore.

"Well, I was thinking about a proposal." His uncle makes a pause. "I'm getting old, you know it Sasuke, and Kiri's police it's not easy to rule. I can't trust my subordinates, I'm kind of... suspicious about their abilities. They're nothing like an Uchiha."

"And you want me to take over you." It is not a question. Sasuke can taste the power in his words.

"Huh, you were always smart, Sasuke. After living with you for 5 years I realized that you have what it takes to be the Chief of Kiri's police." Madara makes another pause. "I know that your father would be really proud of you."

Sasuke closes his eyes. It's too much in so little time, his head feels like exploding.

"I need time to think about it." The young Uchiha says.

"Oi, Sasuke, what do you need to think about? Are you planning on living under your brother's shadow all your life?" Madara's mean words sting his nephew's heart. He knows Sasuke's weak spot. "If you never try to find your own path away from Itachi's, you will never succeed in your life. Do you want to stay there in Konoha, being a mere subordinate and living under Itachi's orders? You could be here at Kiri, commanding your _own_ subordinates. I'm making you a _great_ offert.

"Uncle..." Sasuke hesitates. "I _need _time."

Madara lets out a bitter laugh. "I knew that Konoha would make you weak, that's why I didn't want you to go back there."

"I'm not weak." Sasuke hisses.

"You became a man under my supervision in Kiri. Now you are getting shot and playing love games with your teen girlfriend."

"What?" Sasuke's eyes widen.

"Did you think that I wouldn't know? Of course I _know_ about _her_. I have friends living in Konoha, they keep me informed about you." Madara's voice suddenly gets serious. "Look, Sasuke. You might not be my son or my brother, but you're an Uchiha, and Uchihas protect each other. I just want the best for you."

"How much time do I have?"

"Three months."

Sasuke mentally calculates how much he has left. He clenches his fists when he realizes that he might not make it to Naruto's wedding.

* * *

"So, what are you doing tonight, Forehead?" Ino asks while pushing the supermarket cart.

"Huh, nothing interesting. I'm planning on drinking tons of wine, eating as much icecream and crisps as I can, and passing out while watching some romance film." Sakura bitterly chuckles.

"Aw, my poor, poor Sak." Ino shakes her head desperatedly. "Why don't you come with me and Sai? He can invite some hot guys so you can make out with them."

"Ugh, you sure are heartless. Saint Valentine's day is not supposed to be a day where a woman should behave like that." Sakura checks up a bottle of wine and lets it inside the cart. "Wine is surprisingly cheap here. I might drop by this supermarket more times."

"I know, I know, but it's better than being alone and crying over a bastard like the man you love."

They arrive to the cashier and Sakura helps Ino to put the items on the conveyor belt. Ino narrows her eyes at her pink haired friend.

"Why do you keep so silent about the Uchiha? If something happened you better tell me _now_."

"Don't worry, Ino-pig." Sakura giggles, moving her hand like she's shooing away a fly. "Nothing happened between us."

"Sakura..." Ino's voice transforms into a warning.

"Ma'am, it'll be 5.500 yen." The young, brunette cashier tells Ino while chewing a gum.

"Here." Ino grabs the bags and then turns her eyes viciously to Sakura, who tries to act like there's nothing to worry about. "Now tell me or I'll make you suffer!"

"Okay..." Sakura glups and hesitates. She has five minutes before reaching Ino's car, a white Mercedes. "We met two months ago. We had some coffee and we talked about... _us_. Well, kind of. And we accepted to be just friends. But the problem is that... he kissed me."

Ino's eyes widen, her jaw drops. "That bastard kissed you?! I hope you slapped him right in his stupid face!... Oh, wait- Oh my god! You let him! You let him kiss you!"

"I just didn't know what to do! I mean..."

"You still love him, Sakura. Don't deny it because I can see it in your eyes everytime you talk about him. Why would you even try to be friends with him?"

"Because I want to have Sasuke close to me, even if I can't be with him in the way I'd like to."

"But that only makes you suffer, you baka. You've loved him since we started highschool! Sakura, you need to go hard or go home. Tell him about your feelings and if he doesn't respond them, then that will be the start point of your new love-life. He's not the last man on Earth."

* * *

When Sakura finally arrives to her appartment, Ino's speech is still in her mind. Even when she tries to concentrate on cooking some yakisoba, she can't keep his head clear. Maybe her bestfriend is right. Maybe she should just let it all out and finish this agony for good. _"But tonight is not the night. I will think about it tomorrow."_

Sakura puts on some light-washed jeans and a creamy pullover, the heating keeps her bare feet warm. While the food gets ready, she pulls her hair on a messy bun before sitting on the sofa. She prepares the bottle of wine, the film on the TV and a bag of crisps, everything on the coffee table. _"Yosh, I'm ready to survive Saint Valentine's Day one more year."_ She has to admit that her appartment is really cozy. She finally took some time to organize her canvas and she also painted the walls with a soft, brown color a week ago. _"Time to finish the delicious yakisoba."_

She has just put on her floral apron when-

_Ding dong._

_"What the hell? Meh, it'll be someone that has mistaken the door number."_

_Ding dong._

_"It's 8pm and I'm not expecting anyone. I shouldn't open."_

_Ding dong._

Sakura sighs and heads to the door.

"Sir, I think you have mistaken-" She starts saying but her body suddenly freezes.

Nothing could have warned her of what awaited behind it.

A tall, dark haired man is standing at her doorframe. His long, straight bangs frame his pale, handsome face, which remains as stoic as ever. He's wearing a deep blue jersey and jeans under his black coat. His beautiful coal eyes analye the little pinkette, who looks at him speechless. He's holding a pink box on his hands that suspiciously looks like a gift.

"Sasuke...-kun?"

_"This must be a dream."_


	8. As his heart orders

**Author's note:**

Hello there guys! Thank you as always for your support and sorry for taking a bit long on uploading the chapter. I just started playing Guild Wars 2 with my boyfriend and I can't seem to get enough of that game!

I hope you enjoy the chapter -I'm new at writing naughty scenes, so please leave me your opinion in a review.

Lots of love,

K.

* * *

He has been thinking too much lately. His mind feels like it is about to explode, and he has no one to empty his thoughts on. Naruto is not a valid option; he knows that his bestfriend would be too obnoxious about it. Itachi isn't a safe choice either. His brother never got along with Madara. _"And I obviously can't tell her."_

Sasuke took one week to recover from the shooting. He stayed alone at home, only leaving to take some relaxings walks by Konoha's riverside. The night and the stars were his confidants. The calm waters would reflect the moonlight and shine like if they were magic. It somewhat reminded him of Sakura's eyes when she would smile. Her teenager crush grew up to a beautiful woman, one that he could not predict anymore.

It often happened that he would find himself thinking about telling her the _truth_, but he always ended up forgetting about it. There is no way he would let out his weak side, or at least not yet. He now has three months to make it up to Sakura, for all those years he couldn't be there for her. But three months might not be enough. Even if he is going to leave again, he needs to make her happy one last time. _"I need to see that smile one last time."_

Itachi waits for him at home after his first night back on the police station. It's 8 pm when Sasuke opens the apartment door and smells something _sweet_ coming from the kitchen. He can't help but smile. His brother has developed a taste for cooking, and it makes him feel like he's six years again, when his mom waited for him after school.

"Sasuke, okaeri!" Itachi's voice greets him from the kitchen.

Sasuke sighs, lets his bag on the living room table, and takes a few steps to check on his brother. The older Uchiha is wearing his favorite apron and his ponytail is as elegant as ever. Sasuke chuckles inwardly. _"Only Itachi can keep being a charming man while wearing a floral apron."_

"What are you doing, nii-san?" Sasuke asks while opening a Coke.

Itachi takes a little to bring something out of the oven and then he shows it proudly to his younger brother. Sasuke frows. _"Is that a...?"_

"I was a cooking a brownie cake." Itachi smiles and admires it.

"Why?" Sasuke only knows someone that could possibly enjoy it, and he doubts that Itachi has that much familiarity with _her_.

"Well, there's one person we both should thank." Itachi starts cutting it in a rectangular shape. "I already invited Naruto for dinner with us, but I'm sure you didn't even call your other friend."

"Wha-" Sasuke almost chokes. _"Is my brother crazy?"_

"Sakura-chan told me back at the art gallery party that she loves chocolate, so I thought it would be great to cook something for her." Itachi suddenly scowls at him. "And you are such a rude little boy that you didn't even thank her for visiting you at the hospital."

"She's mad at me." Sasuke says, looking away from his brother's gaze. Guilt starts feeling his chest.

"I know. She told you about Sasori, right?"

"Hn."

"I figured it out when she left the party right after you."

"She probably doesn't want to see me anymore." Sasuke's words are bitter on his tongue.

"Huh, you sure are slow, Sasuke." Itachi laughs at Sasuke's deathly glare. "That girl ran to the hospital just after she heard about it on the news. Sakura cried on my shoulder. She was really relieved to see you alive."

Sasuke stays silent as Itachi prepares the brownie cake into a pretty pink box. Maybe this night is a good oportunity to finally apologize to her, even if he knows that it will never be enough.

* * *

Sakura watches how the man of her life leaves the pink box on her kitchen's table and sits on a chair like it is the most commonly thing ever. Her cheeks are utterly red, and she then regrets wearing casual clothes and not even a little bit of makeup. He's always been too handsome for her sanity.

Sasuke keeps being his quiet self, gazing at her while she cooks the _yakisoba,_ and she has the sudden urge to fill the silence with words, just to make the situation a little less awkward.

"Thanks for the cake, Sasuke-kun."

"It was Itachi's idea."

Sakura feels kind of disappointed but she can't blame him. It would be so out of character for Sasuke to cook something for anyone.

"Well, thanks anyway for bringing it here." Sakura smiles sweetly at him but he's pensive.

She bites her lower lip. _"This isn't working."_ Tons of questions gather in her mind and she wishes he could just say something to her. Since she opened the door, he remained silent, only answering when Sakura asked him if he wanted to have dinner at her place. She didn't expect him to accept, and she was left speechless when Sasuke casually said "yes".

"Let me help you." Sasuke's deep voice gets her out of her thoughts.

"It's fine, Sasuke-kun, you don't need to-"

"I'll set up the table."

His callous hands graze her little ones when he reaches for the chopsticks, his strong hips graze her curvy ones when he reaches for the glasses up in cupboard. And her inner core couldn't be wetter. She could taste the sexual tension in the air, but she tried to keep it cool. _"It's Sasuke, he's my friend. He disappeared for five years, I don't love him anymore."_ Ah, how hard it is lying to yourself.

When they finally sit on the sofa -they are having dinner on the coffee table-, Sasuke seems surprised to find the bags of crisps and the bottles of wine. His eyes gaze at Sakura's emerald questioningly and she blushes again.

"You know, I was planning on having a fun night." She answers shyly.

"Why tonight?" Sasuke keeps looking at her, still not getting it.

"Because it's Saint Valentine's Day."

Sakura watches his eyes widen with sudden realization, and she could swear she has just seen the ghost of a blush on his pale cheeks. A shy Sasuke sure is a funny thing to see.

"You didn't know it was today?" Sakura chuckles.

"It's not that special." Sasuke picks up his chopsticks, looking away from her.

"Well, I guess that we girls don't like to be lonely on a day where all the couples are out there having fun and loving each other." Sakura sighs and starts eating.

Sasuke narrows his eyes but he says nothing. They finish the _yakisoba_ in a comfortable silence, and then Sakura brings herself a piece of the brownie cake -she remembers that Sasuke always hated sweets. She then catches Sasuke resting on her couch, his shoulders relaxed, his face paceful. And she's sure that she hasn't seen anything more beautiful in her whole life. _"What if...?" _Sakura takes a sit next to him and leans against his shoulder. It is a bold move, but he doesn't push her away. _"I could be like this forever."_

"Hey, Sasuke-kun." Sakura says softly, trying not to blush. His onyx eyes question her. "Would you like to watch a film with me? It would be fun to celebrate Saint Valentine's Day as friends. There's enough wine and crisps for the two of us."

It looks like he's thinking about it but Sakura swears that he is about to decline her offer.

"Hn." He slightly nods.

And then Uchiha Sasuke surprises her for the third time this night.

* * *

Sasuke doesn't clearly remember when he started kissing her.

It's late, and the lights of her appartment are off. The movie finished long ago, but it's not like he was paying any attention to it. He actually remembers when they finished a bottle and a half of wine, and Sakura casually leaned her legs on his lap while laying on her couch. The touch of her skin burned his hand, and he found himself laying on top of her.

It may be because of the alcohol, or because tonight it's the first time he really acknowledges what Saint Valentine's Day means to Sakura. Maybe it is because she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, or maybe because five years weren't enough to forget her. And when her forest green eyes bath into his onyx orbs, the world just seems to stop.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura moans softly when he deepens the kiss.

Her legs embrace his waist, her feet rest at his low-back. Their tongues dance and taste each other, and Sasuke tries to hold his passion back. He doesn't want to rush anything, he just wants to _enjoy_ her. Her little hands caress his arms and his back, like she wants to show him how tender her feelings are. He nips her neck softly and then he backs a little just to see her face.

Sakura gazes at him with heavy-lidded, green eyes. Her full lips are swollen and Sasuke could swear they've been at least half an hour only kissing and caressing each other. That's so 'not-like-himself' that he can't believe what he's doing. He should be ripping her clothes off and plunging into her mercilessly -that's what he's always wanted to do with her. But only for tonight, he wants Sakura to get what she deserves. He wants to make love to her.

Sakura suddenly smiles sweetly, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Sasuke's eyes widen a little.

"I've missed you so much, Sasuke-kun." Her voice reaches his heart making it pound heavily into his ribcage. Her eyes sparkle with happiness. "I love you."

Sasuke suddenly finds himself carrying her to her bedroom and leaning her on the bed. He can't think coherently, so he just does what his heart orders him. He can't respond to her words yet, so he lets his body talk for himself.

His callous hands strip Sakura off her clothes -which fall to the floor on a mess- while his lips keep kissing her strawberry mouth. His fingers graze her curvy hips, her small waist, her full breasts. She lets him do, moaning softly everytime his hands caress her between her tights. Sakura blushes when she realizes that she's only wearing her underwear. She tries to cover her body with her hands, and Sasuke finds it amusing.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sakura mutters shyly.

"Because you're beautiful."

Sasuke doesn't know why he has just said that, but it seems so natural for him that he doesn't understand why Sakura doesn't see herself the way he does. Her eyes widen, she suddenly gets her head up to kiss him fiercely, and then his passion explodes. His mouth can't get enough of her nipples, the soft curve of her butt, the sweet taste of her skin. He presses his arousal against the wetness of her tights, two of his fingers slide inside her panties causing a sweet, loud moan from Sakura. She's ready for him.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whimpers while tugging on his shirt.

He reluctantly pulls out his finger and gets himself naked. Sakura gazes at him speechless, bathing her eyes in his glorious body. His arousal is hard and thick, and it's been like that since they started kissing. Sasuke can't wait anymore, but he still needs Sakura to ask for it. He wants to feel her _need_.

Sakura lays back on the bed and slightly opens her legs. Her eyes are darkened and his swollen lips beg him to come back to her. Sasuke can see every part of her body, and he inwardly knows that he would never forget this sight.

"I want to be yours." She mumbles.

They make love for what seems hours. She's lying on her back and he's on top of her, their eyes melting together. Her moans and his groans fill the room. Sasuke keeps thrusting on her slowly, enjoying the moment to it's fullest. Their fingers intertwine and they kiss again and again and again, till he can bear with it anymore and he pushes her against her stomach, lifting her hips up.

He then takes her roughly, making her cry for more and begging him not to stop. Sasuke keeps ramming on her faster and harder till she lets out a final, loud moan and shivers under him. When he feels the walls of her inner core clamping around him because of her orgasm, he lets himself go, and he empties his passion inside of her with a feral grunt.

When they finally lay next to each other, both sweaty and heavy-breathing, Sasuke starts thinking coherently. A guilty feeling reaches his heart. His eyes gazes at her, trying to understand how she is feeling. _"Did she enjoy it? Will she regret it?"_ But what they just did feels so right to him that he just pulls her next to him and she leans on his embrace. Curious but tired emerald eyes search for his onyx orbs.

"Stay with me." Her voice is soft and sweet, just like her body and her face.

Sasuke just kisses her forehead. His hand unconciously reaches her hair and caresses it. The soft pink locks seem to melt under his touch. He's about to reply that he's not going anywhere when he realizes that Sakura has fallen asleep in his arms.

Maybe this is what it feels like to be in love with someone. Maybe it's all about wanting the other person to be happy, even if it's not with you.

Three months, he thinks, never felt so short.


End file.
